Night patrols by street pastors

Street pastors offer support and practical help

Exeter has become the latest place in Devon to have teams of street pastors patrolling nightlife hot-spots.

Church volunteers are trained to offer help to people who are drunk, injured or homeless.

The Street Pastor scheme began in Camborne, Cornwall, last year and now operates in several areas across Devon and Cornwall.

Devon and Cornwall Police said crime, including robbery and sexual offences, had fallen in street pastor areas.

Flip flops

Under the scheme, which is a national initiative, teams of volunteers from local churches patrol town centres on weekend nights, supported by the police and councils.

Aran Richardson, pastor at Riverside Church in the St Thomas area of the city, said the volunteers main aim was to listen, and if necessary, act.

"It's someone to stand in the gap between the door staff and emergency services," he told BBC News.

"We can pick them up and do a quick assessment and get help if its needed."

Street pastors undergo 12 weeks of training before they go out on patrol.

They also remove broken glass from outside pubs and clubs, and offer flip flops to women who seem too drunk to walk properly in their high heels.