WEYMOUTH’S street pastors will be out and about in the town on their 700th patrol tonight (FRIDAY).

Christian volunteers take to the streets every Friday and Saturday night from 10pm to 4am to help troubled clubbers and pub-goers in the town centre.

Since the scheme began in June 2008, it has been praised numerous times by police, paramedics and licensees for helping to keep the streets safer.

Next month marks seven years of the pastors spreading the peace during their nightly patrols, representing another milestone for the charitable organisation.

Volunteer Ken Crafer said: “We are delighted to be celebrating our 700th patrol and we are out every Friday and Saturday, come rain or shine, at all times of the year.

“We have approximately 60 volunteers and 40 of those are trained to go out onto the streets of Weymouth.

“Since we began, we have swept up 15,000 bottles worth of broken glass and handed out 3,500 flip flops to save people walking barefoot in the town centre streets.

“We have also given out 3,000 bottles of water and thousands of lollipops so people can get their sugar levels back up again after drinking alcohol.”

The organisation was set up by local churches in Weymouth and Portland to provide support and advice to revellers enjoying the town’s bars and clubs.

They are one of over 250 similar schemes operating in towns and cities throughout the UK.

To date the Weymouth volunteers have given more than 17,000 ‘volunteer’ hours to the town.

Ken added: “We are there to help or be a listening ear, so please come up and say hello.

“Some people may think we get in the way of people during their night in town, but we seem to be a welcome party on scene and many people know we are there are what we do now.”

For more information contact Ken Crafer on 07425 146134 or 01305 777416, email weymouth@streetpastors.org.uk or visit their website weymouth.streetpastors.org.uk.

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