Be safe around Town this Christmas!

For the second year running, St.Helens Council and members of the Safer St.Helens Community Safety Partnership are launching the One Punch Can Kill campaign, in a bid to keep residents safe around the town centre in the lead up to the festive season.

The hard hitting message aims to raise awareness about the links between alcohol & senseless violence, and shows how too much drink, can turn a good night into a tragic disaster with potentially lethal consequences.  It is supported with a radio campaign on WISH FM around the 12 days of Christmas theme (12 minute taxi, 11 security cameras, 10 friends drinking, 9 karaoke songs, 6 minutes of madness 5 people fighting, 4 paramedics, 3 lives ruined, 2 orphaned children, 1 punch can kill).

The Glass House in the town centre were on board to help launch and support the campaign which started on Thursday 6th December, and local pubs which form part of the PubWatch scheme, will also be supporting the campaign, by displaying posters and bar runners. The campaign is being run in conjunction with  Partnership members, including St.Helens Council CCTV, Merseyside Police & St.Helens Chamber, who work together to ensure a safe night-time economy for everyone - with positive results, having experienced an 11% reduction in all crime in the Town Centre this year so far (April 2012 - October 2012).

Says Councillor Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Environmental Protection and Safer Communities:  "We have a very safe night time economy and we want to make sure that continues. Too much drink can turn a good night into a bad one. Alcohol can lead people who are normally mild-mannered to get into fights, and vulnerable situations. It's the actions of a small minority, which can ruin Christmas festivities for everyone else.  We want people to enjoy our vibrant Town Centre night-life safely.

Caption: Stay safe around town....CCTV, Chamber, Police & Safer Communities representatives pictured with manager of the Glass House.