I was appalled by the content of your article on 'trick or treating' on the front of last week's Malvern Gazette (October 15), with such pathetic responses to what is turning into a serious problem.

This is only "becoming a traditional Halloween activity" because those in authority, who should know better, are allowing it to.

It is also being driven by commercial interests, with stores selling cheap masks and other tat to gullible children and their pestered parents.

The only good thing one can say about that is that it takes up shelf space, which would otherwise be used to try and sell us Christmas goods in October!

This is not an English tradition at all, and the reason some people "do not fully understand it" is because it has only recently been imported from America, via the film ET, where young children were seen playing harmless tricks on neighbours.

It has been perpetuated in several, more recent, horror films, where teenagers are shown engaging in far more sinister, dangerous and violent activities.

When this craze first started, the police issued warnings that it could well be illegal, and they would prosecute, if people complained.

That, of course, was when our police were a 'Force' and not a 'Service'. Now, they too, like most of our public services, have been infected and undermined by political correctness. So we mustn't be judgmental, or stop people having fun, must we?

Much as I applaud Clive Marlow's (Malvern Neighbour-hood Watch co-ordinator) efforts for trying to do something, ordinary, law-abiding people should not have to feel obliged to put up posters stating that they don't wish to be the victims of criminal activity.

The police should be stamping on this, not giving it the nod.

Mr R G Spencer, Court Road Malvern.