A dad is calling for an end to Mischief night after his home is "targeted" by gangs doing "God knows what."
Mischief Night is an informal holiday before Halloween in which youths, and adults, can engage in jokey behaviour. But one Widnes dad said nowadays, people are using it as an "excuse for the purge".
Every year, the dad - who wishes to not be named - said Mischief night causes him misery as he feels like he is being "targeted". From stones, eggs and footballs being thrown at his windows and doors, he urges parents to keep their children in this Mischief night, Sunday, October 30.
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The 43-year-old told the ECHO: "I feel like I'm being targeted. Last year on Mischief Night, I was watching the telly and next minute my front door nearly came off its hinges and there was a massive footprint on it. Every now and again here are balls being thrown at my windows and God knows what.
"Kids are playing knock and run thinking it's funny. I have confronted them but with Mischief night on the horizon it's only going to get worse. I'm expecting to get the brunt of it because my house is on the end."
The dad said the issues are off and on but get worse around the Halloween period. Just this weekend, his son came home to find their window had been smashed in.
He added: "When you're sat minding your own business it does scare you. It worries me if anything happens to the house because it's rented so it would fall on me.
"Please just keep your kids in on Mischief night. Kids are going around causing loads of damage. I even started a petition a few years back but it's getting out of hand. There needs to be a curfew of a night to protect people, the elderly.
"My grandma is very fragile at the minute. Mischief night is just an excuse for the purge and it's putting extra pressure on the police. It's not just me that suffers, there's young families who are suffering because of idiots causing mayhem.
"When I was younger, you didn't do anything the night before Halloween. Everyone is saying it originated from America, but it didn't. I've told my son he isn't going to his girlfriends, he has to stay at home with me for his own safety. And the cats are scared as well."
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