In Sussex, police have renewed their partnership agreement with the Eastbourne Street Pastors.
Street Pastors’ is an inter-denominational church initiative which was started in 2003 in London. The work of street pastors: listening to people, providing practical support, and pointing people to local services where appropriate.
Each area project is set up by the street pastors’ umbrella organisation, Ascension Trust, and is managed by a local co-ordinator with support from local churches, community groups, and with the police and other statutory agencies.
Eastbourne street pastors started working three years within the seaside town centre every Friday and Saturday night, from 10pm until about 3.30am. They have 43 active street pastors, and 27 prayer pastors who pray for them and for the community while the street pastors are out ‘on duty’.
Insp Damen Funnell from the Eastbourne Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “The Eastbourne street pastors do an excellent job here in Eastbourne and we are very pleased to continue our work them. Although they are an independent organisation from the police and other local agencies including Eastbourne Borough Council, we all work closely together to make Eastbourne an even safer place to live.”
Ali Stevens, Eastbourne street pastors co-ordinator said: “We have always received huge support and respect from Sussex Police, right from the start. Part of the agreement between us is that street pastors remain independent and confidential in the service it provides; but saying this, we know we can always count on their full support if and when necessary, and likewise.”
The pastors are always looking for more volunteers, or for anyone who feels they can support in another way. You can contact Ali Stevens by email [email protected] or 07967 212941.
Meanwhile in Scotland, the SNP Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has given Argyll and Bute Council permission to increase the area that the Oban alcohol byelaws cover.
Argyll and Bute Council have increased the area that the Oban alcohol byelaws cover to include the areas of Soroba, Glengallan and Pulpit Hill. It will be an offence for anyone in possession of an open container containing alcoholic liquor where it is reasonable to infer that that person intended to drink from it in public within the town. The new byelaws come in on February 19.
Mr MacAskill said: “Public drinking is often a nuisance and can greatly hamper the quality of life for residents in a particular area. All local authorities, in Scotland, already have such byelaws in force and that demonstrates how seriously local authorities are tackling the problem of reducing the nuisance and disorder commonly associated with public drinking.
“I will continue to support other councils that come forward with appropriate byelaw proposals for designated places.”
Argyll and Bute Council already have alcohol byelaws that prohibit the consumption of alcohol in a designated public place in towns and villages throughout Argyll and Bute and have now introduced new alcohol byelaws which will increase the area that the Oban alcohol byelaws cover It will be an offence for any person to be in possession of an open container containing alcoholic liquor in a designated place in circumstances whereby it is reasonable to infer that that person intended to drink from it whilst in a designated place.
There are four offences that the local authority can choose from. It is up to the local authority to decide what offence is suitable for their needs. Any person who is guilty of breaching the byelaws is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £500 (level 2 on the standard scale).
Local authorities can submit proposals for similar byelaws under powers contained in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. All local authorities in Scotland have such byelaws, which cover more than 480 towns and villages, together with the built up areas in the cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
