SPECIALS from Macclesfield Division are playing a bigger part in the Operation Yellow Card campaign.

Originally, they were staffed only by regular police officers but, following a specials-only operation this year, the volunteer officers are now being enlisted.

Among the specials taking part in last weekend's first mixed Yellow Card operation was Wendy Norris, from Macclesfield.

She jotted a diary of the night's events and below is a small selection of her entries:

"22.00: Many people have now come into the town centre. Most of them are in the bars, so it is still fairly quiet outside. There has been a rugby match in town this evening and people who have been watching the game make the bars their next port of call.

"23:30: The atmosphere has changed considerably. People have been out for some time and some have consumed a lot of alcohol. We stand outside the main bars watching people and looking for potential signs of trouble.

"01:00: A young girl leaves one of the town centre bars looking very upset. She says she feels faint. We spend some time talking to her and it becomes obvious that she has been involved in a minor fight. We call for medical assistance and spend time talking to her friends.

"We're trying to find out exactly what happened. Medical assistance arrives and takes over, leaving us free to continue patrolling the area."