STREET pastors are preparing to support night-time drinkers in Wallingford after they were inspired by the efforts of volunteers in Wantage.

Last week, Wantage’s Street Pastor team celebrated its first anniversary and revealed that it had helped 3,800 people during nights out.

Now Churches Together Wallingford, which unites 13 churches, wants to run its own scheme and is preparing to launch it early next year.

Neville Burt, 64, chairman of Churches Together Wallingford, said: “People living in the town are well aware of what happens when the pubs shut. There is rowdiness until about 2am and some young people go to places like the Kinecroft to carry on drinking.

“We want to support young women who are separated from their friends and others who are vulnerable. We will hand out flip-flops for girls in high heels and want to make it clear that this is not a preaching exercise — we want to offer practical help and support.”

Mr Burt said 13 volunteers had already signed up and he was aiming to gather a team of 18 before they went out on the streets on Friday and Saturday nights from next Easter.

The volunteers will work in the Market Place and other areas in the town where they are needed.

Rev Bernard Thompson, Pastor of Ridgeway Community Church, said: “A church in Enfield, London, was recently approached by a police inspector who asked them to set up a scheme because the friendly presence of street pastors can lead to a fall in crime.

“This is not about bashing people over the head with the Gospels.

“We want to show people we are there to help and, by doing that, we can take aggression off the streets.

“We want people to have a good time, but we know some people go too far sometimes.”

Grandmother-of-five Frances Willoughby, 69, is preparing to take to the streets as a volunteer.

She said: “All my grandchildren, except one, are teenagers so I know some of the issues young people face. I’m not worried about my own safety — I just want to help young people get home safely.”

Fellow volunteer Ralph Shepherd, 55, a marketing consultant who attends St Mary le More Church, said: “This is a chance to show young people we care when they get off the bus at 2am after a night out in Reading.”

Margaret Monk, administrator for Wantage Street Pastors, said she was delighted that churches in Wallingford were setting up a team, adding: “We will offer support and advice and I hope that eventually all the market towns in the Vale will have people volunteering.”

Last month, the Wallingford volunteers met representatives of the Ascension Trust, the organisation that runs the Street Pastor scheme nationally and internationally.

For the past year, Wantage and Grove street pastors have been out every Friday night.

Now they want to expand their service by running a team of street pastors on Saturdays as well, and expanding the existing service in Grove.

The team of about 75 people celebrated their first year of work with a birthday party on Thursday in the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, Wantage.

Mrs Monk said of the 3,800 people who met volunteers, 141 were considered vulnerable.

She said: “Street pastors dealt with 27 aggressive situations — and without endangering themselves they prevented a lot of fights.”