City centre bars and clubs are being asked to give financial backing to a taxi marshal scheme that aims to make St Albans safer.

St Albans District Council has been helping to run the project designed to ensure people return home safely after a night out.

The marshals patrol taxi queues in St Peter’s Street and Batchwood Hall to stop them becoming flashpoints for alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour.

CCTV operators have recorded the Marshalls stepping in to stop potential trouble on numerous occasions.

Late-night licensed premises have been invited to contribute to the running costs, but not all have chipped in.

Now the District Council is inviting all other late-night licensed businesses in the area to follow their example and share the cost.

The Taxi Marshall system was first introduced in St Albans City centre in 2005 and at Batchwood Hall in 2009.

Taxi Marshalls have no formal powers, but are provided with two-way radios linked to the police and the CCTV control room. They wear high-visibility jackets and are licensed and regulated by the Security Industry Authority.

The marshals have been trained in many aspects of crowd control such as defusing aggression.

Among the aims of the scheme are to reduce alcohol related crimes, increase people’s sense of safety, promote the night-time economy and protect taxi drivers.