Halloween is bringing out community spirit, rather than the more ghostly kind, in Cranbrook.

Local cub and beaver scouts will be running an alternative to trick-or-treating, collecting items for the Ottery St Mary foodbank instead of asking for sweets.

They will be calling at homes around the town on Monday, October 28 between 5.45pm and 8.15pm.

Anyone who wishes to donate items but does not want to be disturbed can leave a bag of food outside their front door, or contact firstcranbrookcubs@gmail.com to arrange a pick-up.

Cub scout leader Sally Jarmain said this will be the second year of the alternative trick-or-treat.

"The original idea came from a scout group in another part of the county, and we thought we'd give it a try last year," she said.

"It went far better than we could have anticipated and we were overwhelmed by the generosity of the residents.

"It was also a really great experience for the cub scouts, who got to learn about food poverty and felt that they were doing something which was genuinely helping people who needed it.

"So that's why we've decided to run it again this year.

"The Ottery food bank are delighted that we will be collecting food for them.

"They have told us that there are a number of Cranbrook residents who use their service, so the donations that residents make will be of benefit to others in their own community."

The foodbank needs breakfast cereal, long-life fruit juice, long-life milk, sugar, tea, coffee, tinned potatoes, tinned fish, tinned meat, noodles or savoury rice, pasta, rice, tinned vegetables, tinned soup or packs of soup, tinned tomatoes, baked beans or spaghetti, custard, rice pudding, tinned fruit, jam or marmalade and toilet paper.

It cannot accept any fresh or homemade food items.