Street pastors have launched a scheme in Burnham-on-Sea to offer help and support to late-night revellers.

The Street Pastor initiative has been running in England since 2003 and in some areas it has helped reduce night crime by up to 84 per cent. It has already proven successful in nearby towns such as Weston-super-Mare and Taunton.

Now the scheme has been launched in Burnham to support police and help pub-goers, clubbers and others who need help late at night. The team conducted their first walk around the resort to reduce anti-social behaviour and petty crime on May 23 and say it proved successful. The four volunteers taking part are Judy Sharp, Carolyn Down, Nick Down and Kevin Baker, who patrolled the town centre between 9pm and 2.30am.

Judy said: "It was a really good evening. We had a very encouraging response from holidaymakers and local people, all of whom showed a lot of interest in what we are doing.

"It was actually a fairly quiet evening with very few incidents."

Further patrols are planned for Burnham over the summer months and a new scheme is also being planned for Brean and Berrow.

The pastors, easily recognisable by their blue caps and jackets, focused on areas close to pubs and clubs where there is likely to be more need for their support.

They also visited the Burnham Area Youth Centre.