Police: 'Celebrate Halloween Responsibly'
31 October 2012, 13:32 | Updated: 31 October 2012, 13:52
Police across Norfolk and Suffolk are warning young people to stay out of trouble tonight as many people celebrate Halloween.
Shops have been asked not to sell items such as flour and eggs to under 16s and additional officers will be on duty for what can be one of the busiest periods of the policing calendar.
Inspector Mark Cant of Norfolk Police said: “In previous years the event has passed without major incident thanks to the consideration of trick or treaters for those who didn’t want to take part in Halloween and we hope to see a repeat of that this year.
“Halloween can be a distressing time of year for some vulnerable members of the community and we would ask trick or treaters to respect the wishes of those who choose not to mark the occasion.”
Police Officers from both counties will be working with residents, partner agencies and local businesses aiming to make sure that celebrations are safe and enjoyable for everyone.
For anybody thinking of going trick or treating Norfolk Community Safety Partnership offers the following safety tips to young people as a way to stay safe;
- Never go trick or treating alone or split up from your friends.
- Always check with your parents or carer first.
- Only go to houses where you or your friends know who lives there.
- Don’t go into any house - stay on the doorstep.
- Don’t talk to strangers on the street.
- Stay in well-lit areas and carry a torch.
- Take care when crossing roads - it may be hard to see so well in a costume.
- Although Halloween is about looking spooky, be careful not to frighten the elderly.
- Eggs & flour make a mess & most shops won’t sell them to under 16s over Halloween.
The Police from both counties have also released a selection of posters for residents to place on their front doors if they would rather not answer the door to trick or treaters.
BothNorfolkand Suffolk Constabulary have posters which can be downloaded from the following websites.