GRIM reaper will be the word on the street in Marlow tonight - but thankfully it’s designed to reassure residents at Halloween, rather than scare them.

Marlow police will begin their annual Halloween patrols to combat anti-social behaviour from trick or treaters.

And it will be all hands on deck next Friday to deal with what is one of the busiest nights of the year for neighbourhood officers.

Sergeant Robin Hughes of Marlow police said: "During that week, we probably get the most calls in the whole year. "Everyone will be out, there’ll be no desk work at all.

"You get a lot of elderly people who although they put up stickers saying do not knock on my door, kids still will.

"We’ll be out on the estates just making sure that Trick or Treat doesn’t get out of control. We will go to the old people’s homes and just show a presence, because some people do get scared."

On Halloween, Thames Valley Police receives an average of 3,700 calls in a day, with a large number of these in the evening.

This year Halloween falls on a Friday and during half term, so officers expect to be busier than ever.

Sgt Hughes said youngsters heading out trick or treating should avoid areas where they know lots of elderly people live, should only knock once and should never go round the back to try again.

Residents can find ‘No Trick or Treat’ posters on the TVP website or in nearby stations to put on doors or windows to deter any would-be pranksters.

Advice from police to residents who feel unsafe is as follows: - Don’t open your door if you’re unsure who is there. Use your spyhole, look out of a window, and use your door chain if you do decide to open your door.

- Have a contact number of a close relative or good neighbour to hand by your telephone, just in case you need to phone them.

- If you are part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, let your coordinator know that you will be on your own at Halloween. If you are a coordinator, please identity people in your scheme that may be vulnerable and offer them reassurance.

To report anti-social behaviour, call 101, the 24-hour Thames Valley Police non-emergency number. If you feel threatened, if it’s an emergency, or if a crime is in progress, call 999.