Halloween warning (From Penarth Times)

Halloween warning

AS PENARTH'S Halloween celebrations kick off, police have unveiled their latest weapon in the fight against crime.

Officers, who acknowledge tonight as one of the busiest periods in their calendar, now have an £80,000 mobile police station and CCTV station to help them cope.

The Mercedes van, which was bought with a National Assembly grant, has been operational in the rural Vale for more than two months. It will now be brought into town for use over the Halloween and Bonfire Night period.

Police say the mobile station will be invaluable in helping them deal with problems of youth annoyance, street crime and general nuisance.

It will also be used as a meeting place for locals and community officers.

Acting Supt James Moore told the Times: "The unit will assist in gathering evidence against people who decide to flout the law and will give valuable assistance to officers when arresting people, who will be charged and placed before the courts."

Police hope the van will help them deal with the hundreds of calls expected tonight as some Halloween celebrations cause chaos.

While for hundreds of children it's a fun night for dressing up, officers are inundated by calls from older residents troubled by youth annoyance.

Problems include egg and flour throwing, the letting off of fireworks and unwelcome 'trick or treaters'.

In a bid to combat these problems, police have spearheaded a number of initiatives. These include a poster campaign, a project aimed at urging shopkeepers to be vigilant and the issuing of safety advice for younger children.

The poster campaign is a double-sided banner that residents can place in their windows. One side welcomes genuine Halloween callers whilst the other asks youngsters politely not to knock the door. They are available from Penarth police station.

Detectives have also visited a number of retail outlets and have asked traders for their co-operation in trying to stop goods being bought by teenagers for mischievous acts. These products include eggs, flour and fireworks. This ties in with a recent Vale of Glamorgan Council initiative checking on the illegal sale of cigarettes, alcohol and fireworks at shops.

Another of police officers' concerns is the potential for traffic accidents as children dressed in black dart in between cars. They advise trick or treaters to stick to well-lit areas, carry a torch, walk on the pavement and use brightly-coloured face paint instead of rubber masks which can hinder vision.