Street Pastors will be out patrolling towns and cities across the UK this Christmas to help ensure that people enjoy the festivities safely. 

Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for frontline services as many people head out to party, bringing large crowds into town and city centres.

Volunteers Street Pastors work to keep the streets safe and lighten the load for frontline services by offering water, administering first aid, clearing glass bottles, providing a listening ear to people in distress and making sure people get home safely.

Chief Operating Officer Eustace Constance said the Street Pastors would be out over the Christmas season whatever the weather. 

"Street Pastors do not provide fair weather support, our teams will be patrolling over the Christmas and New year celebrations, regardless of the weather condition," he said.

"Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Our desire is that everyone get to do that safely and feeling cared for, especially over this season." 

Street Pastors are volunteers who come from local churches and are trained to offer support and assistance on the UK's town and city streets. Over 19,000 people have been trained as Street Pastors since the initiative was launched by Les Isaac in 2003.