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Daily editor spends Halloween shadowing emergency services

david-powles-busA city daily editor joined emergency services on one of their busiest nights of the year to find out about their work.

Norwich Evening News editor David Powles, left, spent the night of Halloween aboard the ‘SOS Bus’, which offers help to revellers who are worse for wear after a night out in the city.

The bus is staffed by St John’s Ambulance, East of England Ambulance Service and Community First Responders as well as a group of volunteers taken from a pool of 50.

During his night aboard the bus, which is based on Norwich’s Prince of Wales Road, David posted a series of six videos on Facebook live which received 40,000 page views.

In a piece about his experience for the NEN, David wrote: “It could just be a one-off, but it’s clear and worrying that tonight most of those helped were young women in their mid-twenties who had drunk more than they could handle.

“The team are called out to help some very serious incidents like assaults on women, someone with serious heart problems and a young lady who is on her own and asleep on Norwich’s ring road. Thankfully, a volunteer says, it was ‘nice people’ who found her.”

“By the early hours of the morning it’s clear just how important a role this bus and the people on it play in our city.

“It can be easy on a night out to find yourself in a situation that is beyond repair and it’s heartening to know these people are on hand not to judge, just to fix. Norwich is lucky to have this service and those who make it tick.”