A busy summer lies ahead for the teams who look after late night revellers in the streets of Falmouth each weekend.

Falmouth's Street Pastors, 40 people from 14 churches in the Falmouth and Penryn area, give their time on a Saturday night to care, listen and help, providing flip flops for blistered feet and offering fruit pastilles to the weary.

The group is headed by co-ordinator Pam, a grandmother from Penryn, and a team of four Street Pastors and two Prayer Pastors begin their evening at 10pm and will be ‘on duty’ until 3am, longer if needed.

Pam, who attends Budock Church, said: “It can be a long night. We are all volunteers, many aren’t young but we are well received by people and we do help.”

Research shows Street Pastors can help reduce crime by up to 25 per cent. In the Devon and Cornwall Police area alone, Street Pastors provide 38,000 hours of visible patrols annually. If they were paid, at a living wage it would equate to £296,651.

Pam is keen to point out Street Pastors are not a replacement for police officers.

“It’s all about working together for the better of the community," she said. "We have a good relationship with the police. They know we are there to support them, keep out of the way and help pick up the pieces afterwards.”

As well as a supply of flip flops to ease the feet of the more ambitious high heel wearer and water, the humble fruit pastille is also among the Street Pastors’ armoury. Pam said: “We’ve given out eight pairs of flip flops in a night and it’s amazing what a fruit pastille can do!”

With the AZAB race in June and Falmouth Week in August, the Street Pastors will be kept busy.

Pam said: “There will be a lot of people but Falmouth attracts more families and couples.”