Teens in Halloween masks banned by police

Scotland Yard is to increase patrols this October as figures show a rise in crime around Halloween.

There is a 'big difference between children trick or treating under adult supervision, and gangs in ski masks knocking on their neighbours' doors and demanding treats' says Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin, in charge of London's Safer Neighbourhoods teams. Officers plan to confiscate masks from gangs of 'threatening' youths who dress up deliberately to scare people, and intimidating groups will be stopped and quizzed by police. 'Scream'-style masks (which cover the face) are a particular source of contention, although small children are not the main target of the initiative, according to Godwin, who says 'If you are about 6ft 3in and you have a Scream (film) mask on that has a substantially different impact.'

Last year, there were almost 250 more robberies than usual in London during the week of Halloween, according to Scotland Yard.

In 2005, police initiatives around the country saw a drop in Halloween-related crime. In Gloucester, coppers urged shops against selling eggs and flour to under-18s and issued 10,000 posters to residents to place on their front doors to discourage trick or treaters. Bristol launched 'Operation Bewitched' to reassure the public and deal with disorder and anti-social behaviour, and police in Sussex's 'Trick or Treat' campaign issued a poster for people to display in their windows to deter unwanted Halloween callers, after egg-throwing became a 'worrying trend'.

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