Parents are going on patrol with Police to crack down on Bermuda's Hallowe'en hooligans.

Education Minister Jerome Dill has thrashed out a plan with national parent-teacher chiefs to send mums and dads onto the streets as party-night peacekeepers.

The parent power plan will also involve patrols on buses alongside uniformed Police officers.

And parents could even be equipped with two-way radios to keep Police up to date on fright night antics.

Mr. Dill told The Royal Gazette of the plan to put parents on patrol all over the Island after a meeting with the chairman of the National PTA, Anthony Steede.

He said the fine details would be kept under wraps to keep trouble-making students in the dark.

But he confirmed schools would not be closing early on October 31.

And he promised any student found guilty of vandal attacks on Hallowe'en night would face being expelled from school.

Police also said extra officers and Police Reserves would be drafted in for duty all over the Island.

Officials are already considering linking parents up with two-way radios so they can keep Police informed of any trouble.

Mr. Dill said: "We agreed that schools would not be closing early and now we are looking to the NPTA to help us provide parents to assist police on Hallowe'en evening.

"We are exploring ideas of putting parents on buses alongside officers or on street patrol duties,'' he said. "As a mother principle, there's going to be communication and cooperation between the Ministry, the parents and the Police.

"We will increase the presence on the streets and on the buses and we will discuss exactly what method of communication parents should have on Friday night.

"All the fine details will be ironed out when Ministry officials meet with PTA representatives on the matter later this week.

"But I'm absolutely convinced that the way forward when we are dealing with youth violence is to get the parents involved.'' Uniformed Police have already been recruited to ride on buses after a series of recent vandal attacks by youngsters.

Last Hallowe'en, armed officers were called onto Bermuda's streets and three Reserve Police officers escaped injury when their van was petrol-bombed.

Egg-throwing pranksters had targeted buses in the days before October 31 -- and Warwick Academy closed its doors early.

This year, CedarBridge Academy has warned its students to be on their best behaviour after suspecting some of the bus attacks.

Members of the National PTA executive meet later today discuss exactly what parents should be asked to do.

And Mr. Steede said he hoped as many parents as possible would volunteer for the patrols.

He told The Royal Gazette last night: "The PTA will discuss exactly what we will ask parents to do tomorrow.

"We believe it's right that schools shouldn't close early and we are also adamant that buses should continue to run.

"That's why we've agreed to ask parents to volunteer for duty and they will be mobilised and even possibly asked to use radio communication.

"It's too early to say just yet but the ideas will all be considered.'' CRIME CRM TRANSPORTATION TRA