Police work to 'ensure safer Christmas nights out'

Police in Jersey are to have an increased presence at night time in St Helier in the lead-up to Christmas, officers say.

States of Jersey Police said that Operation Visible would work to ensure islanders were safe and enjoyed nights out.

St John Ambulance and Normandy Rescue are also to be based in the Weighbridge area on Friday and Saturday nights, and Street Pastors are to be out around St Helier on Saturday nights.

A main focus for the operation was to encourage people to plan ahead on how they would get home safely, police said.

'Reassuring presence'

Insp Lynda McKenna, of States of Jersey Police, said: "We aim to offer a reassuring presence and create a supportive and secure environment for islanders."

“We know that the night-time economy can contribute to incidents involving public disorder and violence, so police officers will be on patrol in key areas of the town during weekend evenings."

Operation Visible was also aligning with the recent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) report, officers said.

The force said at the time of the report's release that tackling violence towards women was a priority.