THE other evening I came home from work to find my little black cat missing. I put a flyer in the window which included my phone number.

A while later there was a knock on the door. I eagerly opened it, hoping it was news. Imagine my horror when I found myself face to face with some figures in Scream masks - I can assure you these are really scary if you're not expecting to see such a sight, especially in the dark. I yelled "go away", slammed the door and locked it, feeling quite shaken.

Within an hour they were back, knocking and banging on the door and banging on the window. Then a phone call - them again, demanding "trick or treat".

Isn't it about time Hallowe'en was stamped out? I enjoy a good ghost story or horror film. It was a great privilege to hear Harry Martindale and friends as part of York Ghost Festival.

However, there are civilised and uncivilised ways of celebrating this season. Why parents encourage their children to go about the streets indulging in such intimidating, callous and vindictive behaviour is beyond me.

It is a total irrelevance in my area, where much accommodation is rented out, nobody knows who the local children are, and there is no community spirit whatsoever.

I was worried sick about my cat (which has since returned), and can't understand how they thought it funny to exploit my anxiety, and to raise my hopes twice, only to cruelly dash them. Trick or treating is a thoroughly alien custom: pointless, meaningless, humourless, witless, bullying, menacing - like so much that nowadays comes out of ugly, neoconservative America.

Julie Speedie,

Newborough Street,

York.

Updated: 10:49 Monday, November 01, 2004