A DEDICATED team of 26 volunteers are ready to hit the streets of Billericay to support late-night revellers and vulnerable people in need.

After the town’s Street Pastors scheme was launched in the summer, the team have undergone various training courses and are now ready to go out on patrol.

They will be out in the town between 9pm and 3am on Friday and Saturday evenings to help those who may be vulnerable, ill, injured, homeless, or suffering the effects of drink.

Street Pastors isanationalproject overseen by the Ascension Trust, and the founder of the scheme, Rev Les Issacs, will be in Billericay for a celebratory launch event at St Mary’s Church, in High Street, before the team hit the streets for the first time on Friday, November 1 from 7.30pm.

Phil Norton, 48, coordinator of the Billericay scheme, said: “It’s been quite a challenge but very very enjoyable, every day something happens or just a call from someone about the scheme that makes me really excited.

“We’ve got good contacts with local pubs and licensed premises but we need to do more work on, that so they know we’re there to help.

“My main hope is that people who are already out on a Friday and Saturday night in Billericay realise we are there to help, we’re not there to cause problems or preach or judge, we’re there to offer a hand of help when people are at their most vulnerable.”

A rolling recruitment programme is still underway. You just have to be a member of a local church and over 18 to volunteer.

E-mail noisyphil@gmail.com for more information