'Street angels' to help revellers

Street angels will take care of drunken revellers

Dozens of volunteer "street angels" will be patrolling the highways of a West Yorkshire city to help revellers who have over-done the festive cheer.

About 40 people will take part in the scheme, which has been organised by city centre churches in Bradford after a successful trial in Halifax.

The "angels" will be on-hand to help people in distress as a result of drinking too much alcohol.

The volunteers will work each weekend with the town's CCTV control unit.

Patrols are expected to be mounted on the main streets from 2100 to 0300 GMT throughout the weekend.

Volunteers will be trained in first aid and work to keep people safe, freeing up police to deal with serious incidents across the city.

Insp Steve Baker, of Bradford South Police, said: "We are talking about situations where the angels could help people who are drunk and may be vulnerable, or could have fallen asleep in a public place and could be at risk of hypothermia in the cold weather."