Colchester: SOS bus gets thumbs up (From Gazette)

Colchester: SOS bus gets thumbs up

10:30am Tuesday 28th October 2008

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DRUNKEN revellers flocked to a new community safety bus, picking up bottles of water and condoms as they passed.

The specially-branded bright yellow SOS bus parked in Colchester High Street on Saturday night.

Six volunteers, including the bus driver, and four St John’s Ambulance staff readied themselves for their first night in operation, and were amazed at the reception they got.

Peter Carrington, community safety coordinator for the Colchester Crime and Reduction Disorder Reduction Partnership, said: “We were really busy – at one point it was so packed we couldn’t have fitted anyone else inside.”

Initially three volunteers manned the tables outside, encouraging revellers to stop and have a chat. Once they were tempted by the lure of sweets, water or even a glo-stick, the volunteers then talked to them about sexual health and encouraged them to take a free condom if they were planning on having sex.

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