POLICE are urging partygoers to make sure they stay safe by planning their journeys home from seasonal celebrations.

West Mercia Police has issued a list of checks to carry out before heading out to Christmas and New Year parties.

A spokesman for the force said: “The party season is upon us - a time of celebration, fun and catching up with family and friends - but, sadly, sometimes the highs can soon turn into lows if the party spirit gets the upper hand.

“For some people, letting their hair down may lead to a round of binge drinking throughout the festive period.

“As well as the health consequences, this can also lead to people losing their inhibitions and taking more risks with their personal safety leaving themselves vulnerable to becoming a victim of violence or sexual offences for example, or making the mistake of drink driving.”

Top tips to help prevent the night from ending badly.

Getting there and back:

• Plan your journey to and from home and if you get a taxi or minicab, make sure it is licensed

• Take a photograph of the driver and taxi plate and send it to a loved one before getting into the vehicle. A legitimate taxi driver won’t mind you doing this, it will give you and your loved ones peace of mind.

• Don't travel with a driver who has drunk alcohol or who may be under the influence of drugs

• If you plan to drink alcohol, plan how to get home without driving: options include agreeing on a designated driver, getting details of a licensed taxi firm, or finding out about public transport routes and times

• Make sure somebody knows where you are going and what time you will be home

• Always carry your bag close to you with the clasp facing inwards. Keep your house keys in your pocket and if someone grabs your bag let it go

• Remember to keep hold of bags and phones in restaurants and pubs

• If you think someone is following you, check by crossing the street - more than once if necessary - to see if they follow. If you are still worried, get to the nearest place where there are other people - a pub or anywhere with a lot of lights on and call the police on 101

• Consider carefully whether to leave a pub, club or party with somebody you have just met

• Don't take short-cuts through dark alleys, parks or across waste ground

• Use routes that are well lit, and walk facing the traffic

• If you're walking home on a cold night make sure you're dressed to keep warm

While you are out:

• Make sure your drink isn't left unattended

• If someone offers to buy you a drink, only accept if you know you can trust them

• Communal drinks such as punch bowls can easily be spiked. It's not always possible to know what's been mixed into these drinks, so stick to drinks that aren't shared

• If you begin to feel drunk after fewer drinks than normal, seek help from a trusted friend or management at the club/pub/licensed premises

• When you are out, keep your phone out of sight. If your phone is stolen or lost, call your network to get your phone blocked

• Think before you offer an alcoholic drink to someone you know is planning to drive; you can help reduce the number of people who are killed and injured every year by drink driving Partygoers are also urged to make sure they are not heading out on the roads the morning after with alcohol still in their system

The force spokesman continued: “Sleep, coffee and cold showers don't help you to sober up - time is the only way to get alcohol out of your system.

“There is no excuse for drink driving: alcohol affects everybody's driving for the worse. It creates a feeling of overconfidence, makes judging speed and distance more difficult, and slows your reactions so that it takes longer to stop.

“A large proportion of all drink drive crashes occur within three miles of the start of the journey – ‘only going down the road’ is not an excuse.”