POLICE said Halloween this year was a treat instead of a horror as it passed off without trouble.

Extra patrols were laid on in Marlborough, Devizes and Chippenham, but officers said the evening was the quietest for years.

In Chippenham, there were just four reported incidents, but they were not serious enough to warrant any arrests being made, said Inspector Martin Schorah and Sergeant Allan George.

Shops were warned before the night not to sell eggs or flour to young people in an effort to reduce anti-social behaviour, and trouble-makers were reminded that throwing fireworks in public places is an offence.

Sgt George said: “We made sure we had enough staff working throughout the evening to counter any problems we might face. We also did a lot of work in advance in terms of putting posters around the town and visiting shops to advise them not to sell eggs and flour to young people.

“The PCSOs went round all the schools and youth groups to educate and inform people about the penalties they may face for anti-social behaviour.

“We also spoke to many vulnerable people ahead of the night and let them know to get in touch with us, if they needed to.”

Sgt George said the aim was to remind people to keep Halloween the family-friendly occasion it should be.

Insp Schorah accompanied the patrols, which were out in the town from 6pm until 11pm, and said he was pleased Mark Rippon, the anti-social behaviour reduction officer from Wiltshire Council, had visited the town on the evening.

“I started with a foot patrol around north Chippenham until 8pm, when Mark accompanied me to Calne,” he said.

“When we were in Chippenham we had a lot of positive comments from people, and we stopped to speak to trick-or- treaters and groups of young people.

“It was all done in a very friendly and humerous way – it’s important people have fun on evenings like these.

“In Calne, we did a foot patrol around Anchor Road and we finished in Corsham, which was very quiet.”

The inspector said he had high hopes for another trouble-free evening on Bonfire Night.

“I will be working on that evening, but we’re all looking forward to a similarly successful event,” he said.