Hereford’s night life is booming - but this is creating challenges, according to those who keep an eye on it.

“Since April there has been a sharp rise in footfall Hereford’s night-time economy,” according to Mike Truelove, chief executive of Hereford Business Improvement District (BID), which measures trade between 6pm and 6am in the city.

“The last couple of months have exceeded last year’s figures by 20 per cent, with around 25,000 people going out in Hereford each week,” he said.

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“That’s not to say businesses are having it easy. Cost are going up, pricing at the pumps is very sensitive. Being a pub landlord isn’t for the faint-hearted.”

Some venues are luring in customers with packages such as lunch with prosecco – “to keep people for longer”, he added.

(Image: LDRS) And while businesses, the police and volunteers collaborate to ensure a safe night-time environment, on the current vexed issue of who funds the CCTV service for the city centre, “we are waiting pensively for what happens next”, Mr Truelove said.

Vennture, whose volunteer “street pastors” help revellers enjoy a safe night out in the city, has noticed a recent change in their habits, according to its lead executive Robert Thomas.

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“People are coming into town earlier in the evening and so we are getting called by door staff earlier,” he said.

“We are having to reconfigure our shifts to start at 6pm, while staying out till 4 or 5am. It’s a challenge for us, and a challenge for businesses to predict.”

A Vennture street pastor out in HerefordA Vennture street pastor out in Hereford (Image: Vennture) Vennture is currently recruiting more street pastors, and is expanding its work to Leominster and Ross-on-Wye.

Mr Thomas added that its workers are seeing growing use of hard drugs, which he describes as down to greater availability combined with revellers’ “naïve experimentation”.

“It makes our work harder, and is putting lives in danger,” he said.

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Despite this, “we have one of the safest night-time economies in the country”, Mr Thomas stressed.

Mr Truelove added: “Rob is right, people are going out earlier – and we don’t know why.

“You think you know what the trends are but then you are surprised.”