Officers investigated dozens of Pokemon Go incidents in Suffolk over the summer.

Police even received calls in the early hours of the morning from residents concerned about the behaviour of Pokemon Go gamers.

The free Smartphone gaming craze which swept the country instructed gamers to scout the real world to capture and collect cartoon Pokemon characters. Some gamers even trespassed on private property in their hunt for Pokemon, it was reported nationally.

Over a three-week period in the summer, Suffolk police received 29 incidents relating to the game.

One male was assaulted at “the library” in Ipswich when he “went to collect some Pokemon balls” at 10.25pm on July 28.

At 8.55pm on August 5, an Ipswich resident said: “If the female is playing Pokemon Go whilst driving then she could cause another RTC (road traffic collision).”

A Bury St Edmunds resident said: “When you live in town you expect noise but this has escalated since the Pokemon game came out and they have groups of youths hanging out.”

Another report in Bury at 11.46pm on July 30 stated: “They claimed they were looking for a parrot. I asked if he thought they were Pokemon hunting which he did not know.”

One said a male gamer was seen “with his vehicle, hitting it, dancing around it”. Another said he had “fallen out with a friend” because of the game. Another came home in a “bad mood” after an argument with a friend.

Other assaults and thefts were also recorded.

Police launched five investigations into the reports. Three remain ongoing.

Detective Chief Inspector Barry Byford said: “The majority of reports did not require further police action.

“We will always respond and investigate incidents.”

An NSPCC spokesman said: “There are loads of good things about the game, but it’s important to learn the risks involved. Users can draw other players to certain spots by using ‘beacons’ to flag up other Pokemon. “This means that adults could physically meet up with children. There’s a physical risk, and the app also asks for personal details.”

The figures were released by Suffolk police under Freedom of Information laws.