Halloween and Guy Fawkes or bonfire night fall within the space of less than a week. Devon & Cornwall Police has some advice to avoid any behaviour that others may find antisocial during that time.
Neighbourhood Policing Lead Inspector Steve Philp said: "At Halloween, when trick or treaters are out and about, some people may become worried or even frightened if strangers are continually calling at their door during the evening.
“Anti-social behaviour is defined as conduct that is likely to cause alarm or distress to any person and while we appreciate that at Halloween this may be inadvertent, please respect those who don’t want to take part in trick or treating.
"Stick to areas and people you know. People who welcome trick or treaters often put a pumpkin outside their house or in their window as a sign, or you can download a poster welcoming trick or treaters from our website.”
“If you’d rather not have people knocking on your door, you can also download a ‘Sorry… no trick or treat this Halloween’ poster”.
The posters can be downloaded from the Devon & Cornwall Police website here: Halloween | Devon & Cornwall Police
700 hundred Halloween leaflets were delivered door to door in Camborne by the local Police Cadet Unit and Citizen in Policing volunteers on the Thursday 23 October.
Neighbourhood policing teams have some new ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’ stickers for children, one of which features Bravo, Devon & Cornwall Police’s mascot, wearing his high vis jacket!
Inspector Philp continued: “Used irresponsibly, fireworks can cause damage to property and do significant harm to people and animals. This is why members of the public may only use fireworks on private property such as back gardens and only licensed professionals can use them in public places.
“If anyone is setting off fireworks in places other than this, it’s possible they’re unaware that they are breaking the law. If it’s children and you know their parents, perhaps ask them to intervene. If you’re having an ongoing problem with people setting off fireworks dangerously or recklessly, please report it to us.”
“It’s an offence to throw or set off any firework, including sparklers, in or into any highway, street, thoroughfare or public space.”
“Please keep these things in mind, be respectful of others, stay safe and have an enjoyable time during this week of winter celebrations.”
The fire and rescue services in Devon and Cornwall have published all you need to know about fireworks safety.
Devon: https://www.dsfire.gov.uk/safety/home/fireworks
You can find the laws applying to purchase and use of fireworks on the Devon & Cornwall Police website, where you will also find a link to report anti-social behaviour https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/fireworks/
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