Street Pastors go out on the streets to help people. DAVID MILLS finds out about how they are helping make town centres a safer place to go at night.

WHETHER it is finding the right bus to catch or just someone to talk to, Street Pastors provide a "helping hand" for people out at night.

The service was launched in Greater London in 2003 and has now gone nationwide.

Both the boroughs of Bromley and Bexley have Street Pastors in place, with a team introduced to Beckenham in December last year.

Alun Morinan, the Beckenham Street Pastors' co-ordinator, says the organisation is the church on the street.

He said: "We're a group of people from different churches in the area who have concern for the community and neighbourhood we live in.

"We are out there to listen to you and try to answer any questions."

He added: "We are not out there to convert you, just to provide a helping hand where necessary."

The team walks up and down Beckenham High Street every other Friday night from 10pm to 1am.

Members wear a uniform displaying the Street Pastors logo to make themselves identifiable to the public.

They meet at Christ Church, Christ Church Road, Beckenham, where the group have a briefing and then pray before hitting the streets in teams of four or more.

Street Pastors strike up conversation with people on the street, pop into off-licences and convenience stores to say hello and go into cinemas as people are coming out.

Mr Morinan, who is a researcher at the Institute of Psych- iatry at King's College London, said: "It's more than just walking down the street with no purpose.

"The Street Pastors are about talking to people, listening to people and then offering help such as bus information and directions.

"It's like we're tourist guides. If someone is on their own waiting for a lift, for example a young woman, our pastors will wait with them."

Mr Morinan says Street Pastors is not about preaching religious messages to people.

He added: "I emphasise, we are not about preaching, we don't hand out religious literature. We are very important to the community, we add a voice and more importantly an ear with which to listen to people."

Mr Morinan says the Beckenham Street Pastors have been warmly received.

He said: "Even from our first night out reception was really good.

"People were really glad we were there.

"They said it made them feel safer and more at ease."

Mr Morinan says the problems in town centres at night were usually alcohol-fuelled.

He said: "We have to admit the vast majority of young people are law-abiding people.

"But in this country we have an unusual relationship with alcohol which leads to binge-drinking.

"The problem is we don't think of alcohol as a drug.

"We talk about crime to fund drug habits, but with alcohol crime is spontaneous.

"It arises because of people being in an intoxicated state."

To become a Street Pastor you need to be aged 18 or over, have a reference from your church leader and have been a member of this church for at least a year.

For information on the Beckenham team, call Mr Morinan on 07896271137. For a different area, call 020 7771 9770.