Atrick or treat apple with a razor blade inside is a far more scary prospect for parents than any Halloween witch or ghost.

While mums and dads know monsters are just make-believe, they can’t be as sure about the urban myths which spread each year about contaminated treats.

Yet, according to researchers, the chance of your child finding pins and poison in sweets and cakes is just as likely as real ghosts and witches appearing at Halloween.

Joel Best, a professor of sociology and criminal justice, has studied crime reports from Halloween dating back as far as 1958 looking for evidence of contaminated trick or treat goodies.

“I know of no evidence that any child has ever been killed or seriously injured from a contaminated treat picked up in the course of trick or treating,” he says.

“I can’t say it has never happened, but in the absence of any evidence, I think this is best understood as a contemporary legend.”

Author Lesley Bannatyne, who writes about Halloween, says that there have been few instances of sharp things discovered in Halloween treats, and nearly all of them were hoaxes set up by children or their parents.

“The idea of a treat-dispensing psycho who’s out to hurt young children on Halloween is most likely an urban myth,” she says.

“Whether true or not, it was enough to change the way people celebrated Halloween. Very few young kids, for example, are now allowed to go trick or treating without their parents.”

But just because such ghastly tales are nothing more than urban legends, that doesn’t mean that parents can completely relax as their trick or treaters disappear into the darkness.

While razor blades and poison aren’t real Halloween threats, the potential danger of traffic on dark nights, going to a stranger’s home, and even tripping up over outsize costumes, is worth thinking about.

Geraldine Holden, content editor of parents’ social networking site Mumsnet, points out: “There are some obvious measures you can take to keep your children safe at Halloween.

“Parents on Mumsnet advise only knocking at houses that have a pumpkin in the window or decorations on the door, always dressing up, never doing tricks and never knocking on undecorated doors.”

She says Mumsnetters have mixed feelings about trick or treating. While they’re generally happy for young children to get dressed up and do it, they’re “distinctly less keen” on teenagers trick or treating with menaces.

Geraldine adds: “They also advise sticking to roads leading to primary schools – all those small kids should equal lots of participating families.”

Before children set off, parents can take practical measures to ensure their safety, such as checking their costumes aren’t too long, making sure they can see properly through their scary masks, and that their costumes are either bright enough to be seen in the dark, or have reflective strips.

Be safe on Halloween:

Plan your route: map out a track choosing residential areas that are safe and well-lit. Keep on pavements and find the safest places to cross.

Set off early and plan to be home within the hour.

Add reflective accessories to bikes and outfits to help children stand out after dark.

Take a torch: stick it in a lantern or inside a pumpkin head for maximum creepiness combined with visibility.

Be a pumpkin, a zombie, a skeleton or a ghost: orange stands out in dim light and so do bright white sheets, white bandages and white ‘bones’.

Be bright, be seen: face paints and fluorescent accessories will help children to be seen, providing they’re combined with reflective bands. Remember that fluorescent clothing doesn’t work after dark.

Make sure children are accompanied by an adult.

Be street savvy: visit direct.gov.uk/talesoftheroad for road safety tips.

Stick together: don’t go off on a solo mission.

Stop, look and listen: as simple as this sounds, it can be easy to forget – especially when munching through a bag of Halloween treats.