Neighbour says mum's Halloween display 'offensive' and 'gave child nightmares'

31 October 2023 , 16:23

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Lia Adams-Steele said she received an anonymous letter from a neighbour complaining about her Halloween display (Image: bbc.co.uk)

A mum has shared an 'upsetting' letter sent by a neighbour who complained that their Halloween display was too aggressive.

Lia Adams-Steele, 35, had decorated the front garden of the family home in Bristol with cobwebs, pumpkins and witches to celebrate the spooky season with her two young children. The Halloween feature, which she and her kids reportedly spent hours putting together from recycled materials, also includes a small gingerbread house, emblazoned with the words "Keep out - Danger". But the arrangement appears to have left one anonymous member of the public so worried that they penned her a letter, claiming that images of witches are "offensive and scary to some".

The mum and her two children reportedly spent hours putting together the decorations from recycled materials (bbc.co.uk)

The unknown writer, who identified themselves only as a member of the local community, also said that the Halloween imagery could give local children nightmares. Their letter, which has been shared on a local Facebook group by Lia, reads: "As a member of the Longwell Green community, I would like to ask you to be considerate of young children and others who may not be comfortable viewing your outdoor displays, which are quite scary and aggressive. Not everyone celebrates Halloween.

"Images of witches / occult and such like can be offensive and scary to some, and actually gave nightmares to my child, who has to pass these most days. I realise that you are free to express yourself on your own property - unless you are renting of course. But this feels just a bit too far. And I am sure you did not intend to offend anyone, and just doing it for fun. But perhaps in future I ask kindly that you consider those passing by."

The letter said images of witches are 'offensive and scary to some' (bbc.co.uk)

The mother-of-two has hit back at the message - which she claims is scarier in nature than the Halloween display itself - and told the BBC: "I think it's more scary someone went to the effort of typing up the letter to be honest. In 2023 I feel a little bit scared that I had to receive a letter like this."

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Lia also said she felt she "deserved a name to the letter" so that she could discuss the person's concerns - but said she was going to keep the display, as she had made it for her children's enjoyment. The family have since gone on the receive more than 300 supportive comments on Facebook, she said, including one that suggested it was "mission accomplished" if her Halloween surprise was so scary.

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas