Street Pastors get set for busy nights

Paisley’s Street Pastors are approaching a very busy time as the festive season gets into full party mode.

The pastors, who are Christians drawn from a number of churches, tour the streets of the town on weekend nights to help people who might be the worse for drink, are having a crisis, or just need to chat to a friendly face.

And as pubs, clubs and restaurants fill up every weekend with revellers and partygoers out to enjoy the Christmas season, the Street Pastors want them to know they will be there for them as much as ever.

Cheryl Adair, a Street Pastor of long standing, said: “If people see us, they can come up and talk to us.

“It can be anybody in the street, whether they are worse for wear through alcohol or not.

“We’re best known for giving out flip-flops to women whose high heels have caused sore feet, and our aim is to try to keep people safe on the street, so we will also carry battery packs to charge phones so that they can make a call.

“Or we’ll phone for them. We’ll contact relatives or a taxi to get them home.

“We’ll stay with lone females or even a lone male that’s waiting on a taxi the worse for wear.

“And we’ll stay with them until their taxi comes.

“Sometimes just our presence on the street helps.”

Mrs Adair said the police in Paisley have been a great help.

“The police in Paisley have been very supportive to us,” she said.

Inspector Tracy Harkins, of Paisley Police, said the work of the Street Pastors is highly valued.

“We liaise regularly, we tie in with them at weekends through the radio link with them so they’ve got access to what’s happening in the town centre, and for their protection they can shout into us and we can respond if they need any assistance.

“They’re a great asset for us at the weekend.

“They release police officers from maybe dealing with vulnerable males or females.

“Before the pastors we had to ensure that drunk males or females were taken care of, and that tied up a couple of officers.

“But now the Street Pastors will deal with them, make sure they’re warm and invariably they’ll get them a taxi and get them home.”

And that is even more the case during the festive season, Inspector Harkins added.

“The footfall in the town centre coming up to the party nights will maybe not double up but definitely increases,” she said.

The Street Pastors are having an Open Day on Saturday, January 12, at 10am in St Matthew’s Church of the Nazarene Gordon Street, Paisley, for Christian people who might like to become one of their number. All are welcome.