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The town pastors are an expanding group drawn from most Christian denominations who volunteer to walk the streets at night offering help, advice, bars of chocolate, bottles of water or just a chat about what they're doing.

They're easily identified by their flourescent yellow tabards which have the words 'Town Pastors' on them as well as the Christian fish symbol. It doesn't stop some people thinking they're police officers and shouting abuse. 'Do-gooders' was one phrase I heard muttered by a woman who passed by.

The Ipswich initiative was launched in 2006 following a pilot scheme. Bury St Edmunds followed suit in 2008 and Newmarket was another Suffolk town which launched its service in April 2009.

Steve Jay from Orwell Church in Ipswich is a regular volunteer: "The police wanted a friendly-face out on the streets with them when they started a zero-tolerance campaign.

Steve & Judi Jay on the Cornhill

"Basically it's to care for people on the street who're vulnerable, people who need help getting a taxi home, present a quietening influence to things if they're kicking-off. If we need help, we call the police.

"We do it because we want to show that we care for people. We walk around seven miles a night and we don't get paid for it. We believe it's what Jesus would have done - out on the streets where people are at."

Steve's wife Judi said prayer is a big part of what they do: "We're usually praying as we go so we know that God's with us and helping us. He's our protection for the night."

"We don't overtly preach, but if people ask us questions about our faith we answer them, said Steve.

"Generally, people are very positive. They're pleased we're here."

Inebriated in Ipswich

In Ipswich, every Friday and Saturday there's usually a team of six who walk around in mixed-sex pairs from 10pm onwards until they feel things have gone quiet. There's also a team back at the Christian Youth Ministries (CYM) base which stays in touch via walkie-talkies and prays for peace on the streets. I went out with the team one Friday.

"One of the worst things that's happened to us was a deliberate hit and run. We were there straight away," said Steve Jay. "We were praying for paramedics to arrive, and coincidentally an ambulance appeared at that moment and we flagged them down.

"The next day the person was able to discharge themselves from hospital and was okay.

Handing out chocolate bars

"Once on Upper Brook Street a guy got stabbed near the snooker hall. He managed to stagger out of an alleyway and saw the town pastors near Ollie's.

"He recovered but was in intensive care for a long time. Without that instant call for paramedics he wouldn't be around.

"But most of the time, it's just people having lively banter."

In the autumn of 2008, the team recruited 13 new pastors taking the total pool up to 60 and representing around 45 churches in the town.

Partners in crime

Keeping an eye on things outside Fire & Ice on Tacket Street was the police's Chief Inspector Matthew Rose: "I think we complement each other very well. They're an extra pair of eyes out on the streets.

"If we have someone who's a bit worse for drink, we can call the town pastors and not have to tie up a police officer."

CI Rose said the pastors certainly aren't stepping on the police force's toes, in fact they're needed more than ever: "People seem to be younger who're getting drunk. 

Chief Inspector Matthew Rose

"Drugs have got a lot to answer for. I come across people who you think are drunk, but they behave in such an odd way that I wonder whether they've taken any other substances.

"Certainly in Ipswich we are winning the war on drugs, but they are available and they are cheap, unfortunately."

Going out with the pastors you suddenly notice a number of young men cycling round and round Ipswich town centre on mountain bikes. They seem to avoid the pastors and one conclusion is that they're peddling drugs.

The power of prayer

At the CYM base on Great Colman Street, the team has a group prayer at the start of the night. While the pastors are out, those remaining keep in touch via radios and pray when specific incidents occur.

Mark Firmin, of the Bridge Community Church (based at Gusford Primary School in Chantry) was team leader on the night I went out. He's got complete faith in the power of prayer:

"God wants to involve us in the detail. Although we do a blanket prayer at the start, which has an effect, that's not to say nothing else will happen that night.

Praying back at base

"People on the streets have free choice and freewill and God's not going to intervene in those choices such as drinking too much or being abusive or violent.

"But when we see that starting to affect other people, we can pray and God will help in those situations. God wants to involve us in the detail.

"It doesn't fix everything all the time, but I think it does make the streets more peaceful generally.

"Often Christians are portrayed as hypocrites or do-gooders and here we are, rather than just moaning about society's ills, we're getting stuck in. We're not the police so we're able to engage with the public in a completely different way.

"I think people's perception of what the church is all about has become much more positive, particularly among the generation who've got very little Christian heritage. They tell us it's amazing that we're prepared to stay out here.

Mark Firmin

"You get used to seeing people who are drunk. It's quite saddening to see the numbers of people who're just so off their face they don't know what they're doing and making poor choices and not able to take responsibility for themselves.

"We're not out there to lead people's lives for them, but we can stop them coming to harm [by finding taxis or giving them water] when they're in that vulnerable place."

Newmarket's scheme

Newmarket's Christians launched their Town Pastor scheme in April 2009. The Deputy Chair of the scheme Tony Hodge said their first night was a success and he spoke to BBC Suffolk Sunday breakfast show presenter Luke Deal the morning after:

"The police tell us that Newmarket generally is a really good place to be out, but occasionally people do take things too far and things do get a bit sticky and a bit difficult.

"We can talk to them and just give them a chance to cool down. We can give them water and a chance to think about what they're going to do next. If they've been chucked out of a pub of club we can let them know that it perhaps means it's the end of their evening and time to move on.

"Generally we'll be handling that with chat. Generally that's often what they need - they've got something to say and they want to say it to somebody."

Tony said it does take a degree of bravey to confront someone who's drunk and aggressive, but there's a good reason:

"People are people. We've got a whole prayer team behind us as well. It takes a little bit of guts, but when you're there in the uniform it's quite obvious what we're about and people have that little bit of respect.

"Sometimes it's a case of standing back and giving them a chance to speak to you. But it's also looking out for those who aren't causing trouble but are vulnerable.

"There was a lady we saw, she'd been out on the town and had a good night, but she seemed a little bit lost and alone. We were able to chat to her and walk her up the road to the taxis and she was really appreciative to just have someone there to care for her and that makes an amazing difference to people's lives."

The final word should perhaps go to one young man in Ipswich who gave us this glowing review of the service the pastors provide: "One time I got bottled and these people, out of the goodness of their hearts, helped me through the situation.

"All they wanted was a thank you - they deserve a medal. My taxes should go towards people like this."