The darkening evenings are bringing fun and festive entertainments to Somerset this Autumn, in the form of Halloween, Bonfire Night and of course…the carnivals.

Somerset is famous for its carnivals, with everal of the events are widely regarded as the largest illuminated carnival processions in the world, with Bridgwater and Glastonbury attracting crowds of up to150,000.

Chief Inspector Sean Williams, Local Police Commander for West Somerset, said: “Carnivals are a fantastic Somerset tradition and they are wonderful events. We want everyone to enjoy them and the variety of firework displays and Halloween festivities on offer for the next few months.

“We want everyone to have a wonderful time and so our message is simple – enjoy yourselves, but don’t risk spoiling the night for everyone else through irresponsible drinking and doing something you will no doubt regret in the morning.”

Officers from across Somerset will be out and about to ensure all the residents and tourists attending the annual carnivals have a fantastic time. But, anyone seeing it as an excuse to get drunk and spoil the fun for others will see their night ended early by the officers, PCSOs and special constables patrolling the various events.

"Have fun but please be sensible"

As the carnival season kicks-off, we are launching our “Somerset after dark…” campaign this week which will cover Halloween, Carnivals and Bonfire night and will include top crime prevention, personal safety and travel tips to make sure everyone can enjoy the fun.

C/Insp Williams said: “The carnivals begin this weekend. Whichever carnival you are attending over the coming months, there will most likely be heavy traffic in places, so please bear this in mind - aim to arrive at least an hour before either the carnival or fireworks are due to start.

“I would encourage everyone to plan their journey and where you are going to park as people travelling to some of the carnivals and larger fire-works displays can expect some road closures and diversions. These have been planned and implemented by the carnival organisers and can be viewed on their websites.”

The spooky festivities of Halloween and the fun and fireworks of Bonfire night also fall in the middle of the season.

C/Insp Williams added: “We would appreciate the public’s cooperation by being mindful of other people, particularly Trick or Treating at Halloween, which some people can find intimidating.

“Over the next month we will be working with local shops and licensees, many of whom are not selling flour or eggs in the run up to Halloween. Have fun but please be sensible, especially in regards to fireworks and alcohol. Remember the basic safety tips so you have a fun night and we can have a quiet night.”

Before you head out to enjoy the party, be it spooky Trick or Treating, fabulous fireworks or to shake your maracas with the carnival floats, take a look at our website and get some top tips for personal safety. You can follow your local team on Twitter or search for #somersetafterdark.