Increased police patrols in Northants during the Halloween period to clamp down on anti-social behaviour

Last year, police officers were called out to a number of incidents across the county on the weekend when children go ‘trick or treating’.

School visits have been carried out in which safety tips - such as how to stay safe when trick or treating – have been passed on to children.

PCSOs in some sectors have also distributed ‘No trick or treaters’ posters to residents for use during Halloween. Posters focusing on anti-social behaviour have also been distributed to some retailers.

Fire officers have also distributed fire and crime prevention advice ahead of the many private and public celebration events held for Bonfire Night.

Police Sergeant Nathan Murray from the Kettering Safer Community Team, said: “We will be patrolling areas where we know there may be anti-social behaviour or where there have been previous reports. There will be Specials on patrol, PCSOs and joint vehicles. We will also be working in partnership with other agencies such as local councils as this really helps us to tackle ASB effectively.

“Last year there were a few more incidents than we would normally expect on an average Friday or Saturday night, but we hope that with plenty of officer visibility and with any anti-social behaviour dealt with swiftly, the general public will be able to enjoy a peaceful, safe and fun Halloween period.”

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service will be visiting a number of sites during the next two weeks and offering fire safety advice to organisers of any firework displays they know will be taking place.

Police visits have also been planned to some firework retail outlets, reminding workers about the law on firework sales.

NFRS Station Manager Mick Berry said: “People often approach the Halloween and Bonfire Night season without considering all the behind-the-scenes work that the emergency services do to help make this time of year a safe one.

“There are many safety messages we try to instil in members of the public, not least through the school visits we make, when we talk about subjects such as keeping costumes away from naked flames, avoiding the use of real candles in lanterns and pumpkins, and not visiting houses to trick or treat where they do not know the residents. We hope the education work we have done with the public ahead of this season will go some way to helping people keep safe when celebrating.”