Revellers enjoy a VERY merry Christmas as they hit the tiles on Thirsty Thursday

The Christmas party season is in full swing across Britain as ‘Thirsty Thursday’ went with a bang last night.

Tens of thousands of revellers swamped pubs and clubs in towns and cities across the country as they celebrated the end of the working year – and fired the starting pistol on the festive period. 

As the wine, beer and spirits flowed partygoers, many in fancy dress, danced and drank the night away with friends and colleagues before spilling out into the streets of London, Birmingham and Leeds.

But a sizeable minority had one too many drinks with people seen vomiting, urinating in doorways, fighting eachother or needing medical help after collapsing. 

Today, the last Friday before Christmas, is dubbed ‘Mad Friday’ as workers across the country celebrate the start of the holiday season, often with heavy drinking. Others call it ‘black eye Friday’ because the excessive boozing can lead to punch-ups and arrests. 

Police and paramedics are set for another busy night tonight and have said they ‘won’t act as babysitters’ for those who get too drunk.

Britain’s high streets were packed last night as people left behind the working year and began celebrating Christmas, including here in Broad Street, Birmingham

The last Thursday before Christmas is dubbed ‘Thirsty Thursday’ – but unfortunately some over indulged and were sick

Many people out with friends and colleagues were in fancy dress, including this young woman in Yorkshire who enjoyed a drink and a cigarette outside

A partygoer has a break from drinking by slumping in a window in a packed Leeds city centre last night 

A man with a bloodied face checks his right hand as trouble boiled over on one of the biggest drinking nights of the year in Yorkshire

This drinker in Leeds needed to steady himself on the doorway of the pub and then walked a few yards before leaning on a bollard

In this Leeds this woman needed some help after she struggled to walk on a night some may regret on the morning after

Police help a man who tripped and fell after sneezing outside Walkabout on Broad Street in Birmingham on Thirsty Thursday before Christmas

A group of friends walk along Broad Street in Birmingham on Thirsty Thursday before Christmas

Two women in Christmas outfits have a chat on a bollard on Broad Street in Birmingham on Thirsty Thursday

Volunteers funded by the police are even being drafted in to patrol nightclubs in an attempt to help ‘vulnerable’ revellers.

Teams of two will guard dance floors and drinking areas to combat ‘predatory behaviour’, sexual assaults and fights.

Known as Nightlife Crews, they will also tell bouncers if someone appears to have drunk too much and will help them find a taxi or locate their friends. The £30,000 scheme is being tested for 12 months in Essex and could be extended if successful. It could also be adopted by other forces.

Volunteers wear red jumpers or hoodies with the logo ‘Here to help you’ and will work between 10pm and 4am on Fridays and Saturdays in Colchester, Chelmsford, Basildon and Southend.

Funding is shared between Essex Police, the fire service, police and crime commissioner’s office, the NHS and local businesses and charities. 

The scheme was criticised online by one local who called it ‘the reality of snowflakeism’, but clubs were supportive. Dave Vickery, manager of Unit 7 in Basildon, said: ‘The biggest feedback we get is that people want to feel safe and this definitely makes them feel safer.’

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Barber said: ‘The Nightlife Crews are specially trained to spot the signs that someone may be vulnerable or that someone is showing signs of predatory behaviour.’