Safety on city streets to be improved after dark with night-time ambassadors

In a new move, Liverpool BID Company has appointed two night-time ambassadors to improve safety for its evening and night time economy businesses, their customers and visitors during the busy weekend evening periods.

Louise Solan, 20, and Richard Higgins, 36 will support all BID leisure, hospitality and accommodation businesses across the BID areas to provide reassurance and support.This will cover mainly restaurants, hotels and bars in and around Mathew Street, Bold Street, Church Street, Williamson Square, and Castle Street, Thursday–Saturday, 7pm-3am.

The role of the newly introduced BID ambassadors is to act as an additional link between security staff at BID businesses, the BID-funded staff member at the City Watch team within Liverpool City Council’s CCTV control room, via the BID-funded Radio Link system, and Merseyside Police, to report and address anti-social behaviour, cleansing and environmental issues.

BID levy payer, Stuart Moore, licensing and compliance manager at Baa Bar Limited, the group which owns Cafe Tabac on Bold Street, and Baa Bar on Victoria Street and Fleet Street, welcomed the new measures, saying:

“This is great news. Just the visible presence provided by the night-time ambassadors offers a great deal of comfort, security and reassurance to the people who operate the premises, especially within the evening and night time economy.”

Bill Addy, chief executive of the Liverpool BID Company, added:

“Our ambassadors have become the eyes and ears of the BID areas and our levy payers value the work they do. The addition of two night-time ambassadors extends this valuable service into the busier weekend evenings, providing extra support for our levy payers, and additional services to what the city council and police already provide.”

The BID Radio Link and the direct contact with City Watch provide support to the security staff when an incident breaks out, allowing the incident to be recorded and the appropriate response provided. Along with the night-time ambassadors, these safety and environment initiatives allowed Liverpool BID Company to negotiate a full exemption on the council’s Late Night Levy for its BID levy payers in Liverpool city centre.

For more information about Liverpool BID Company head to the website here or follow them on Twitter.