Elderly people in the West Midlands hoping not to be trick or treated this Halloween have been offered advice on how to feel safe on October 31.

In the build-up to spooky holiday, West Midlands Police receive a stream of messages from those with older relatives, or elderly residents themselves, on how to prevent any unwanted scares.

Overt the next three weeks, the force will work with schools across the region to remind children of the importance of showing consideration to others who may not want to take part in the Halloween festivities .

In addition, they have created ‘no trick or treat’ cards that can be downloaded for free from the force’s website; west-midlands.police.co.uk.

These luminous cards can be displayed in windows or doors to advise genuine trick or treaters to stay away.

Any people that are worried, or have previously experienced problems on Halloween, can call the force’s non-emergency number – 0345 113 5000 – and talk to their local neighbourhood officer about policing on the night.