Sales of Halloween paraphernalia are expected to top £195 million this year, although growth is forecast to slow because of the downturn.
Halloween is expected to retain its place as third most lucrative trading period after Christmas and Easter as shoppers rush to snap up the likes of Singing Frankensteins (pictured) from Asda or cake moulds from Waitrose.

Tesco, which employs a dedicated team to research world Halloween trends, is launching glow in the dark roses as it believes the event can be more romantic.

Asda said it expects to sell about 1 million pumpkins. Sainsbury’s revealed Halloween non-food sales are up 50 per cent year on year and predicts vampire teeth and spider’s webs will be big sellers.