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A London council has banned under-18s from buying eggs and flour in the run-up to Halloween in an effort to curb anti-social behaviour.
The move, by Waltham Forest, is believed to be the first borough-wide ban of its kind in Britain.
Police will also seize Halloween masks from older children so they can be identified in the case of any criminal activity. CCTV vans will be sent to trouble hot-spots both as a deterrent and as a means of bringing any necessary prosecutions.
Residents will be able to display a poster with the message "No Trick or Treat Here". Police forces across the UK are inundated with complaints over anti-social trick-or-treat activities. These include a growing trend in the Halloween practice of throwing eggs and flour at homes.
The trick-or-treat tradition is dreaded by some householders, especially the elderly, some of whom have been left with the chore of cleaning eggs and flour bombs from the front of their homes. Afzal Akram, cabinet member for community safety, said: "We are introducing a whole range of measures to ensure people have a safe Halloween. There has been a great deal of support for the move and shopkeepers will be told to ask for ID.
"Police will ask older teenagers to remove masks and in some cases confiscate them. Not only can masks be intimidating for younger children but we don't want criminals to use Halloween as an opportunity to commit offences without being able to be identified." He said council enforcement officers would also be asking residents to remove any flammable rubbish from their front gardens and to empty any skips.
Shop owners in Waltham Forest have welcomed the ban. Arif Shah, of Low-Cost Supermarket in Leytonstone High Road, said the shop will stop selling eggs altogether over Halloween.
He said: "It's a brilliant idea. It's not a big deal as we only make 10p on eggs." Mr Shah said that last year his shop "got pelted. There were about 10 kids chucking eggs and it was stinking for days and days."
Reader views (5)
Thats ridiculous, they are assuming that all us teenagers do is egg peoples houses (and flour them)!!! I think it is unfair... what if i wanted to bake a halloween cake? (Highly unlikely but i may be in the Halloweenish mood)... I believe give teenagers the benefit of the doubt and dont automatically become suspiscious of a 'scary' mask. Halloween is all a bit of fun, no need to make rules and regulation on our trick or treating night!
- Aliya, 15, London
The few cases where kids are using eggs - I somehow don't think they'll be stopped by this ban. Unless families aren't going to be allowed to buy eggs from now until its all over for another year. Who is to say they haven't been stocking up on old eggs anyway?
I agree that when caught, these kids should be in trouble. That said, this action by the council sounds more like "look at us - we're doing something about it", while really doing nothing at all.
- Rogan, Irving
OH for crying out loud.... Why not lock them in a cage while they are at it.... Waltham Forest Council hang your head in shame....
- Ziz, Farnham UK
Well done that council, if you ever had eggs thrown at your windows or house you will know that it is almost impossible to get rid off, the yoke soaks into the brickwork and stains it for all time!
I've nothing against children going around houses treat or tricking but when they throw eggs that is vandalism and should be stopped. Waltham Forest are doing what their residents want.
- Bob, London
Waltham Forest sounds like a war zone.
In Morecambe, Lancashire trick and treaters will be accompanied by their legal guardians when they knock on doors.
It makes a change to see children enjoying themselves - which is more than can be said about the vast majority of down-trodden adults, who live in fear of this lousy Labour government.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
