A RELIGIOUS row has led to Halloween being cancelled at a Borders nursery.

Pre-school pupils at Tweedbank will be forced to forget broomsticks and banshees this week.

And teachers have also ditched their dooking apples and put away their pumpkins to appease an angry parent.

The mum’s concern over the traditional festival of all things ghostly led to this week’s ban.

Another parent told us: “The children were looking forward to Halloween but then we were told that they weren’t allowed to dress up or do any of the games that you would associate with Halloween.

“All we have been told is that one parent objected to their child taking part.

“The whole thing is ridiculous - they’ll be cancelling Christmas next.” Modern-day Halloween derives from All Hallows’ Eve.

It was traditionally an annual Christian celebration on the eve of All Hallows’ Day - a day dedicated to remembering the dead.

In recent decades the October 31 celebrations have become more children-centred with trick-or-treating, dressing-up parties and pumpkin carving becoming customs.

But the festival’s Christian origins are believed to have upset one parent.

And bosses at the Tweedbank Primary, and its adjoining nursery, have agreed to make any related activities optional and outside normal class time.

Headteacher Alyson Weir told the Border Telegraph: “In past years, nursery children have attended Tweedbank dressed in Halloween costume if they so wished.

“In order to respect all family beliefs and values, we have decided to run the advertised session as a normal nursery session. We will however be hoping to offer an optional Halloween event for the children and parents that wish to attend.

“Consideration is being given to ensuring that Halloween activities are optional for nursery children next year and we will work to ensure that no one feels that their beliefs are compromised.” The ban didn’t stretch to pupils at the primary school who enjoyed a night of ghostly fun last Friday.

Mrs Weir added: “Primary school children were invited to a Halloween disco last Friday night, which was successfully run by the parent council.”