THE frights this lot experienced over Halloween 1999 are likely nothing compared to the scary realisation these images were taken two whole decades ago.

As local witches heated their cauldrons and readied their broomsticks, Daily Echo photographers flew from venue to venue to grab spooky snaps.

Ghoulish face-painting, a haunted house lucky dip, balloon bonanza and fangs created the atmosphere at Brooks shopping centre, Winchester. It was enough to keep little ones amused - even if slightly scared.

At Marwell Zoo the children followed the scary Mythical Beast Trail, which took them to see some of the animals which had inspired terrifying tales. As well as spooky stories they enjoyed macabre mask-making and creepy crafts.

Over at the Bitterne Park Triangle, kids looked fiendish in their ghostly garb. A pumpkin competition got underway while the clock tower monument had its lights switched on for the first time in more than 60 years.

The night went off with a bang in the New Forest as thousands gathered in the cold at the the Sparks Fireworks Fair. Held in the grounds of the National Motor Museum, the event reached a fiery climax with the lighting of the bonfire followed by a 20-minute breath-taking display of orchestrated pyrotechnics.