Ghosties And Ghoulies And Long-Legged Beasties And Things That Go Bump In The Night, writes news blogger David Burrows.

No, not a description of the judges on X-Factor, but a very non-original way of talking about Halloween.

Yep, the day of fun and frolics is nearly upon us. Only it’s not the day of fun and frolics is it? Oh no, it’s a day of evil which shows the decline of morality in British society and one which shouldn’t be encouraged in any way, shape or form.

Or at least it is if you listen to certain sections of society.

Some radical branches of Christianity want Halloween banned. Even the “normal” church is chipping in. The Bishop of Shrewsbury is trying to “rebrand” Halloween by giving out apples and encouraging people to give to charity.

All for the charity bit, but trying to rebrand Halloween? Good luck with that!

What these people (the radicals, not the Bish) fail to realise is that Halloween these days is about as much to do with evil spirits as Christmas is to do with that beardy bloke born in a shed (he didn’t have a beard then) cos some hotel maitre de was too much of a jobsworth to let a pregnant woman in.

Still, it was Christmas, he was probably rushed off his feet.

No, Halloween, like Christmas, is now an excuse for friends to get together and have a jolly good time drinking too much and generally being silly.

That, to me, sounds like a real Christian value – friendship.

The same fun police are the ones that kicked up a storm over the populatity of Harry Potter (witchcraft is, of course, evil and we don’t want that making a comeback, which it is likely to do now, isn’t it? Err…).

There’s more moral lessons for today’s youngsters in Harry Potter than a vicar could give them in a month of Sundays. Sorry, but it’s true.

Harry and his friends engage them in the way a man in a pulpit never could. And the story is of friendship, loyalty and good triumphing over evil, NOT hubbleand bubble. Toil and trouble, I’ll grant you, but not the others.

The police seem to have got the balance about right. Accepting that trick or treating is going to happen regardless but warning kids to act sensibly and take an adult.

Producing a notice to stick in the window saying: “Don’t bother knocking here, you won’t get any sweets” is also a smart move.

The Americans should be lambasted for a lot of things, but I despair at those who say Halloween is so Americanised it’s a bad thing.

The fact that is it has become SO Americanised that any suggestion that it is in any way linked to evil (not that it ever was, if anyone wants to check their history books) is laughable.

So everyone enjoy Halloween. And for the killjoys – watch out for the ghosts.