Revellers will be offered free water and medical assistance at over the festive period as part of a new safety initiative.

The Nightsafe Haven scheme will look to safeguard people on nights out in Hyndburn in the lead-up to Christmas and New Year.

An events van will be set up in a floodlit central area on Church Street with purpose-built display barriers offering free water and medical assistance from St John’s Ambulance volunteers. Police said the Haven is intended to act as a safe space giving party-goers the chance to rest and recuperate and to make sure they get home safely from the town centre.

Plain clothes officers will also be patrolling the town centre’s pubs, bars and clubs to identify and quell trouble before it escalates. Insp Catherine Platt, of Accrington Police, said: “The Christmas and New Year period is understandably a particularly busy party period for us all.

“We want everyone to have both a safe and enjoyable time this Christmas and New Year, and the Nightsafe Haven is one of the methods we will be using to help ensure this happens.”

The hub will operate every Saturday in December and on Friday, December 20 and New Year's Eve. Hyndburn Council, Lancashire County Council, St John Ambulance and Asda have teamed up with Lancashire Constabulary as part of the Nightsafe Haven initiative.

Coun Pam Barton, chair of Hyndburn’s Community Safety Partnership, said: “We’re happy to support the Nightsafe Haven scheme, which is all about helping people get home safely after enjoying the Christmas festivities in Accrington.”

Accrington Police and officers from Lancashire County Council Trading Standards will also visit licensed premises in the area to support them over the festive period.

County Councillor Janice Hanson, cabinet member for public protection, said: “Our Trading Standards officers work with managers of pubs and clubs to ensure their staff are well equipped to serve alcohol responsibly and refuse under age sales.

“Well-managed venues can make a real difference to everyone’s safety and the health of the night-time economy, and we’ll be working with the police to support licensed premises throughout this operation.”