A PARTY bag is being handed out to Christmas revellers in Basingstoke town centre as part of a drive to reduce boozy anti-social behaviour and to make sure people get home safely.

The bags, which include bottles of water, lollipops, flip flops and taxi numbers, are being given out by the Street Pastors team as part of the borough council’s community safety initiative.

The water is intended to help drinkers sober up while the lollipop is included to help pacify people and reduce noise.

The flip-flops are to stop women walking around barefoot after a night in killer heels.

Councillor Clive Sanders, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Cabinet member for community safety and development, said: “When young people are out drinking, they don’t always realise how vulnerable they could be. When people drink to excess, they can lose track of their friends, where they are and how to get home.”

He added: “The ‘play safe, stay safe’ bags don’t offer a solution to drinking too much. But when things get a little out of hand, they can help you to sober up and get home safely.”

Phillip Keeble, chairman of the Street Pastors project in Basingstoke, said: “We are very glad that the council has come up with this initiative, and are more than happy to get involved.”

As previously reported in The Gazette, the Street Pastors project is run by the Alliance of Basingstoke Churches on behalf of the Ascension Trust.

It was set up in July to offer care and reassurance to everyone who is out or works in the town centre at night.

Street Pastors are on hand every Friday night from 10.30pm to 3am, and are there to offer general support and advice to those who need it.