A pair of young trick-or-treaters were robbed of their sweets by bullies on Hallowe'en.

Eleven-year-old Alexander Davis and a friend were dressed as a ghoul and an alien when two teenagers jumped out from behind a hedge in Grafton Road, Winchester. The bullies pushed the youngsters to the floor and ran away with the bags of goodies they had just spent most of the early evening collecting.

Alexander's mum, Jan, of Edgar Road, St Cross, described the robbers as "despicable". She said that next year, she feels she will have to go out trick or treating with them. "It was about 7p, and within 200 yards of our home.

"They were coming out of a house where they had been given a bag of sweets, when two boys jumped out, pushed them and took the sweets.

"My son got hit in the stomach. They were both quite shocked and surprised that it could happen so close to home."