Street Pastors Launch Welcomed by Local MP

Banff & Buchan SNP MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford has welcomed the launch at the weekend of the Peterhead ‘Street Pastors’.

The MP attended the launch of the new service on Saturday night where the 15 volunteers had their Commissioning Service and will be a regular sight in and around Peterhead. Street Pastors were pioneered in London in 2003 and have gone from strength to strength with around 250 teams across the United Kingdom.

The Street Pastors in Peterhead intend to work every Saturday night from 10.00pm to 4.00am and describe themselves as “a caring heart, a listening ear and a helping hand”.

After their Commissioning Service on Saturday, the Street Pastors took to the pavements of Peterhead and were positively received.

Commenting, Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“This initiative is backed by Police Scotland, the Buchan Community Safety Group and the Peterhead councillors and has been demonstrated where it operates elsewhere to contribute effectively to the safety of those using our town centres on Saturday nights.

“I congratulate organiser Frances Scott and her team on getting to this stage. Their enthusiasm for this new project was clearly evident to all who attended Saturday night’s launch and I wish them every success as they move forward with this initiative.”

Sergeant Claire Smith of the Buchan Community Policing Team said:

"It is great to have the Street Pastors joining us in Peterhead. I know they are a great success in Aberdeen, where they started in 2007.

“As police officers we are aware that sometimes the law enforcement approach is not always the best. A support approach can assist greatly with the long term aim to remove the causation factors of anti-social behaviour and incidents of disorder, which can be seen more than often outside and sometimes in licensed premises during a weekend."