POLICE received nearly 1,000 fewer calls over the Hallowe’en weekend than the same period last year.

Some 5,479 non-emergency phone calls were made to Hampshire’s force between Friday and Sunday.

The 999 service was called 2,598 times.

The figures show a 14 per cent reduction in non-emergency calls on the same three-day period in 2009, when the constabulary’s 101 and 0845 045 4545 numbers were phoned 6,386 times.

In the run-up to Hallowe’en police sent out thousands of “no trick or treat” posters, a copy of which was also printed in the Daily Echo, and encouraged shops not to sell eggs or flour to under-18s last week.