A group of children going house to house trick or treating in Oldham were handed packets of cocaine instead of sweets on Halloween, Greater Manchester Police have said.

Snap bags containing the class A drug were found among sweets in the children's possession after they had visited a house in Mendip Close, Royton, yesterday.

They had been handed to the primary-school aged children as they visited houses taking part in traditional Halloween fun.

When they returned home they emptied the bags and the drug was discovered.

The substance was then taken to police, examined and confirmed to be cocaine.

Police said none of the children had ingested the drug.

A man, Donald Junior Green, 23, of Mendip Close, Royton, has been charged with possession of Class A drugs and is due before Oldham Magistrates' Court tomorrow morning.

A 21-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs and was later released without charge.

Superintendent Catherine Hankinson, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “The parents and police acted quickly when this report was made, in the interests of public safety.

“We understand this to be an isolated incident.”