AGENCIES are working together across North Yorkshire to help the hospitality sector keep customers safe whilst they enjoy themselves.

North Yorkshire County Council says its public health team is working with police to increase keep-safe training and messaging across the county’s night-time economy.

Licensees and businesses can take part in training to identify when someone is vulnerable while on a night out and how to intervene to give the right support.

North Yorkshire Police is offering Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement Training (WAVE) to venues that wish to ensure their staff are trained to help customers in trouble from excessive drinking and drug use.

The training shows how situations can develop and how effective observation and intervention can change outcomes for the better.

Venues are also encouraged to adopt the Ask for Angela scheme. This scheme enables customers who feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened to seek discreet help by approaching staff in the venue and asking for “Angela”.

North Yorkshire’s public health team is also stepping up efforts with partners to develop a social media messaging campaign aimed to help people enjoy their night out and reduce harms associated with drugs and alcohol.

The drugs and alcohol recovery service, North Yorkshire Horizons, has liaised with other local authorities, such as Leeds City Council, to offer best practice in harm reduction messaging and will working with public health and police on this.

Cllr Andrew Lee, North Yorkshire's Executive Member for Public Health, said: “It is good to see people back out enjoying themselves after the lockdowns.

"North Yorkshire Police licensing and neighbourhood policing officers have done a great deal of awareness training with licensees and in backing national campaigns such as Ask for Angela, and Op Night, which is developing protocols around spiking incidents.

“But as the night time economy gets in full swing, we in public health are now taking steps to actively encourage all licensees and businesses to participate in Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement Training training and promote campaigns such as Ask for Angela to help keep their customers safe.”

Chief Inspector Dave Barf of the North Yorkshire Police Partnership Hub said: “ I am very proud of the work which the licensing team here at North Yorkshire Police has been doing throughout the pandemic and never more so than now as we begin to see a welcome recovery and return to trade.

“Working with our partners in the local authority can only serve further to ensure and enhance the safety of those working in, and enjoying, the night time economy as we move into 2022 and beyond.”

After a National Drugs Strategy was published, the county's public health team began leading a local drugs strategy in conjunction with partners, aiming to influence a national White Paper due later this year on substance misuse and the night-time economy.