Please don’t go too mad on Mad Friday.
That’s the message from North Yorkshire Police, who are stepping up patrols in York, Selby and other town centres ahead of what they describe as “one of the busiest nights of the year for emergency services”.
The last Friday before Christmas has become known as Mad Friday because so many people go out celebrating.
Both tonight and across the weekend there’ll be extra police officers on patrol in town and city centres.
North Yorkshire Police say they have “a robust and proactive plan in place to ensure that we have a reassuring presence and can swiftly deal with any incidents”.
There’ll also be more staff on the phones in the Force Control Room. On Mad Friday last year, they received more than 300 calls, ten per cent more than a typical Friday night.
The force’s head of customer contact, Superintendent Andy Nunns, said: “As it’s the last Friday before Christmas, we anticipate our demand will increase.
“Everyone will be going out for the Christmas events and parties. What we would say is, please do go and enjoy yourselves. We are here if you need us.
“We have additional patrols out across the towns and cities. We’ve got additional call handlers available to take your calls should you need to contact us.
“And what I would say is, Please enjoy yourselves, but please be responsible. Stay within your limits and make sure you’ve got a safe journey home.”
