Police called to reports of man armed with knives which turned out to be a Halloween costume

Now revellers are being urged to exercise common sense when it comes to dressing up.

Northumbria Police received a 999 call yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, October 30, about a man in the west end of Newcastle dressed all in black and carrying two Samurai swords.

Officers quickly discovered he was actually a staff member at a local supermarket who had dressed up as a ninja to collect money for charity.

Police have thanked the member of the public who contacted police for their vigilance and say the call was made in "good faith".

But they have asked others looking to dress up for Halloween to think twice about what their costume will look like if they're walking through a public place.

Chief Inspector Alan Pitchford said: "I know everyone is really excited for Halloween and we love to see all the effort people have put in to their costumes when we are out on patrol.

"We don't want to spoil everyone's fun and would encourage people to get in to the spirit of Halloween, all we ask is that people use their common sense.

"The incident yesterday is not the first time we have had 999 calls about suspicious characters that has then led to a large police response.

"We would ask that people think about what it looks like if you're dressing up as a character that is carrying a large gun or a samurai sword as in this instance.

"Some costumes are very convincing and people will be concerned if they see someone in full military dress carrying an assault rifle or a masked man wielding a knife.

"We would ask that people put their props in a bag and to only cover their face when they get to their destination.

"For those people who do see someone acting suspiciously, we would encourage you to always be vigilant and to contact police if something doesn't seem right."Anyone who wants to report suspicious activity can call 101 or report it at the Northumbria Police website. In an emergency, dial 999.