THIS Hale Barns man has taken trick or treating to a whole new level.

Rather than a solitary bowl by the front door, John Broderick, 50, put a vending machine for trick or treaters outside his home on Halloween night.

The father-of-three co-owns Manchester-based coffee and refreshments company Broderick’s, which specialises in vending machines, and thought it would be a novel idea to bring one home last night.

He stocked it full of Halloween-themed sweets, chocolate bars, crisps and healthy snacks and let the neighbours’ kids loose on the machine – all for free.

John, who also has a grandson Aston, expected to have some family and neighbours pop by but news of the free vending machine soon spread, with around 100 children queuing up for a go.

Messenger Newspapers:

John Broderick put a vending machine outside his Hale Barns home for trick or treaters on Halloween night

“My nieces live on the same street and I thought it would be nice when they dressed up to have a novelty vending machine,” said John.

“But trick or treaters were telling each other about it when they passed in the street and the next thing there was a large crowd. “I really didn’t realise how successful it would be but it was a lot of fun. With all the killer clowns on the streets and people being terrorised at Halloween, I wanted the kids to have some good, clean fun.”

The machine was a clear hit with the kids, with around 260 packets vended by the end of the night.

But what stood out for John though was the neighbourly interaction.

“We wave at each other in cars going at 30mph and this encouraged the neighbours to come by, have a chat and introduce ourselves to those who have just moved in,” he said.

“It was a great community thing.”

And John hasn’t ruled out similar larks in the future.

So keep your eyes peeled for Broderick’s machine near you – you may be in for a treat.