TRADERS are offering treats rather than tricks to young customers sporting fancy dress on a Hallowe’en theme.

Members of the town traders’ group in Stanley, County Durham, are offering youngsters an incentive to visit their premises in coming days.

Providing they are sporting costumes on a seasonal theme, the scarier the better, then they will be rewarded with specially ‘minted’ Hallowe’en gold coins.

The coins, which on closer inspection are made of chocolate, have been donated by the Stanley branch of the Santander bank and will be given out at all participating premises in the Front Street, Beamish Street and Clifford Road areas of the town centre.

More than a dozen shops are taking part in the Hallowe’en coin scheme, all displaying Trick or Treat on the Street posters in their windows, with the offer running until Saturday (November 1).

One of the traders involved, Dawn Knight, of Beautifly beauticians in Front Street, said it is one of a number of schemes aimed at bringing shoppers back to the town centre, in the aftermath of two damaging fires last year.

“It’s school half-term holiday and Hallowe’en, so it seemed to fit nicely this week, but we have other things planned, including an Advent calendar promotion, on the run in to Christmas.

“I feel as if the fires have helped to galvanise the traders and make them try that bit extra harder to attract people to shop in Stanley.”

** As part of the Trick or Treat on the Street drive, the basement of String and Things music store, at the rear of Front Street, has been converted into a temporary Hallowe’en Grotto with coins and other treats on offer for young visitors.