Churches fight the Good Fight on Taunton's street

A total of 39 volunteers from 15 churches patrolled the centre of Taunton for the first time overnight on Saturday. The 'Street Pastors' scheme was set up in response to the murder of teenager Lloyd Fouracre and a rape in Taunton in 2005.

The first team of Street Pastors went out the previous evening to care for young revellers in need of help late at night.  Adrian Prior-Sankey, who helped set up the scheme said: "It went really well on our first night - we had a warm welcome. So often churches are guilty of commentating but not getting up out of the pews to be part of the solution to society's problems.

Volunteers, who are 18 and undergo training, go out in teams of six from 10pm on Saturday until 4am. They wear uniforms and are in contact with the CCTV control centre, police and pub and club door staff. Police back the scheme as a way of making the town safer.

For the rest of this news item from the Somerset County Gazette, click here