As the clock leans towards midnight on New Year's Eve, cheery smiles and warm greetings are exhanged between revellers on St Mary Street.
But for some the night will quickly turn from jubilation to fear and their own personal horror movie – with an over indulgence of alcohol leaving them vulnerable to the elements and those wishing to take advantage.
Over the years, a strong network of teams has come together to make sure party goers stay safe while celebrating over the Christmas and New Year period – and for the last two years Christian volunteers known as Cardiff Street Pastors have woven into this partnership to help minimise some of the possible dangers of city centre nightlife.
The street pastors see those many would choose to ignore – the man too drunk to remember where he lives, sitting helplessly in a dark doorway, his head lolling between his legs; the broken bottles littered through the gutters slowly cutting up the bare feet of girls whose tight heels have proved too much; and the women who lose their friends and sense – wandering in zig-zag lines home followed closely by a sinister pack of lurking men. These are some of the dangers Cardiff Street Pastors hope to keep at bay by having a meaningful and calming presence in the city centre along police, taxi ambassadors and paramedic staff.
I joined Anne Sutton and Bart Gwre to find out more about what Cardiff Street Pastors do - and see how the city network came together on New Year's Eve.
Listen to the audio piece above to find out what happened on the New Year's Eve patrol.
What do you think of Cardiff Street Pastors? Leave your comment below.
