A new team to keep people safe at weekends is coming to Romford.

Havering Council and Romford Business Improvement District (BID) have joined forces to create a street triage team that will operate in the town centre on Friday and Saturday nights.

Made up of two medics and a security guard, the team will act as a first response for all those who work in the town centre during this period in order to reduce pressure on the conventional emergency services.

Romford BID's director Julie Frost said: "In partnering with Havering Council to fund a street triage team, the BID hopes to attract more people to come and visit our town centre by ensuring that the environment that visitors come into is one that is safe and secure for all.

“It is important to recognise that having a broad range of bars and restaurants is only one part of encouraging visitors to come and invest in our nighttime economy.

"Being able to enjoy this environment knowing that there are services available to support people should they get into difficulty is also crucial when trying to create a truly great space."

Thanking Julie and her colleagues for their efforts to improve the town, Cllr Damian White said: "We are very proud to be running this scheme to help make sure everyone is having a safe and enjoyable time on nights out. Romford has a brilliant range of pubs and restaurants that many people enjoy every week.

“The street triage team will not only play a crucial role in helping people, they will also be helping ensure police officers’ time is freed up to focus on tackling crime and that ambulances are not unnecessarily called to the town centre on Friday and Saturday nights."

Romford BID says it has been engaging with local businesses - both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic - since launching in 2019.

Most recently, it has co-developed an app to entice more shoppers into the town centre.

The RM1 Club app can be downloaded for free. For more information, visit www.rm1club.co.uk.