Monday, December 22, 2025
Lancashire Police will be conducting both high visibility and plain clothed patrols across the county’s pubs and clubs throughout the festive season as part of its continued efforts to crack down on crime, including violence against women and girls.
The move is part of Operation Night Safe, which is dedicated to rooting out suspicious activity and offending behaviour, as well as providing a reassurance presence for revellers.
In addition to regular police patrols, officers will also be working with partner agencies and in some areas, support workers like street pastors, to offer help and advice to those who may be in need of care during a night out.
Finally, they will be working with licensees, promoting safety initiatives like the Ask for Angela scheme.
The Night Safe activity coincides with the national Safer Streets Winter of Action, a Home Office campaign focussed on reducing town centre criminality, including offences in the night-time economy.
Commenting on the operation, Chief Inspector Andy Ainsworth, said: “We want to ensure our county is a safe, vibrant and friendly place in which to celebrate the festivities with friends or family.
“Clearly, we police the night-time economy all year round, but over the Christmas and New Year period, there will be additional dedicated patrols on duty. This extra activity will build on the existing work we do to target, amongst other things, violence against women and girls.
He added: “We will have a high visibility presence in town centres and we will be paying visits to licenced premises, proactively engaging with members of the public, and taking positive action where we feel people may be particularly vulnerable.
“We hope this operational activity will help to reassure visitors and act as a clear deterrent to anyone considering committing crime in our county.
“Our message to offenders is clear: We will not tolerate incidents of harassment, intimidation or predatory behaviour. Nor do we want to see violence or drug use on licensed premises. offenders will be identified and, where appropriate, put before the courts.
Clive Grunshaw, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire said:
“Everyone should be able to enjoy a night out safely and without fear of crime and this operation further enhances the work Lancashire Constabulary does in the night-time economy to keep people safe.
"From tackling violence against women and girls and reassuring the public during what is a busy time of year in our town and city centres, officers will be working with our partners at licensed premises and businesses across the county.
"It's an important part of the Winter of Action which builds on the success of our Safer Streets Summer initiative and sends a clear message to criminals: community-focused, intelligence-led policing is at the heart of Lancashire Constabulary’s work to keep people safe, day and night."