Kettering revellers to enjoy safer nights out with new van space to protect from 'predatory individuals'

Kettering weekend revellers will be able to enjoy safer nights out with new van space dedicated to protecting clubbers and pub-goers.

The second Safer Nights Out (SNO) SNOvan will set up in Kettering to provide a safe space for those in need of support during an evening out.

From Saturday, September 2, the SNOvan will be parked in Horsemarket on the last Friday of the month, and every Saturday from 10pm to 3am.

Funded by the office of Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner the county’s second SNOvan will be a base for volunteers.

Cllr Mark Rowley, executive member for housing, communities and levelling up for North Northants Council, said: “We all want to have a good time when we venture to our nearest towns in the evening and ensuring that our night-time economy is a safer space to enter is something which is wholeheartedly supported by North Northamptonshire Council.

“It is a sad fact that women and other more vulnerable members of our community may be at risk of predatory individuals as the night progresses.

"This is simply not acceptable, but we support all efforts to make sure they are as safe as they can be.”

The Kettering SNOvan will be an operating base for volunteer safety group the Northampton Guardians and the already established Kettering Street Pastors.

Cllr Rowley said: “We celebrate the great success to date of the SNOvan, together with the sterling efforts of the Northampton Guardians, who bridge the important gap between the door staff and the emergency services and I am delighted that this collaborative work is being extended in Kettering.”

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold said: “We want to reduce the risk of someone coming to harm and help to create a calm and comfortable atmosphere for everyone enjoying a night out.”

Gill Goodship of the Northampton Guardians said that the team of volunteers were looking forward to extending their work to Kettering.

She said: “We are particularly pleased to be joining the Kettering Street Pastors, who are firmly established in the town, and we will work closely with them to continue to improve the safety and well-being of everyone in the night-time economy.”