A scheme to make shopping safer for families has been launched in Weston town centre.

Weston Business Improvement District (BID) has launched its Child Safe scheme, with hopes of making the town centre a ‘great location for shopping, offering all visitors a safe and pleasant experience’.

Many businesses in and around the High Street have signed up to the initiative, sporting stickers in their windows to signal to children who have become separated from their parents while shopping they are able to seek help from staff.

Each shop taking part in the scheme has been given a code, which means CCTV can be quickly contacted to help locate lost children.

Parents are also able to obtain wristbands for their children, which have space for a mobile phone number meaning families can easily be reunited.

The wristbands are free and can be collected at the Sovereign Shopping Centre, McDonald’s, Weston Museum and from the MAVIS community bus.

Town centre manager, Steve Townsend, believes Child Safe is part of the BID’s bolstered efforts to improve the shopping experience in Weston.

He said: “Becoming separated from your child is very traumatic and worrying, both for the parent and the child.

“This scheme provides a way to help reunite lost children with their parents, while providing a safe environment and protecting them from harm.

“We want to make people aware it is in operation in the town centre and we want to encourage as many businesses as possible to sign up.

“With the summer holidays approaching, this scheme could benefit the hundreds of families who come to Weston every year.

“Our goal is to make Weston a great location for shopping, offering all our visitors a safe and pleasant experience.”

The BID is a collaborative initiative which sees town centre businesses pay a levy into a central kitty.

The organisation spends the money raised on efforts to improve and promote the town centre, and its projects include the provision of street wardens to support police officers working in the town centre.

Businesses hoping to join the scheme can call Mr Townsend on 01934 642404.