Bar and door staff at pubs and clubs in Mansfield have agreed to wear promotional items showing their support for the town’s Purple Flag campaign.

And members of the public have the opportunity to pick up badges and wristbands featuring the “We love Mansfield … and you will too” slogan this weekend.

The free items will be handed out at the Stag & Pheasant, in Clumber Street, and at the Widow Frost, in Leeming Street, on behalf of the Purple Flag steering group.

Purple Flag is an accreditation scheme that recognises excellence in the management of town centres at night. It can be seen as the equivalent of the Blue Flag awarded to good beaches.

Mansfield’s application was submitted to the Association of Town and City Management in January with inspectors expected to visit the town this month and a decision to follow in June.

Distribution of the badges and wristbands is the latest in a series of actions designed and delivered by the Purple Flag steering group to promote Mansfield as a great place for people of all ages and interests to enjoy a night out.

It follows a night of action organised by Mansfield Partnership Against Crime (MPAC) which demonstrated the honesty of those enjoying themselves in town on a Saturday night.

This involved a handbag containing a purse with money being left unattended in town centre premises – and on every occasion being picked up and handed in to staff at the venues concerned.

Mansfield South Police Inspector Neil Williams, who headed up the MPAC exercise and is also a member of the Purple Flag team said: “From the start we have said that there is plenty to be proud of in Mansfield and the night of action helped to demonstrate this.

“We hope that people will wear the badges and wristbands to show that they agree Mansfield is a great place and they are proud to say so.”

The team steering the Purple Flag work involves representatives from Mansfield Association of Licensed Venues, Mansfield BID, Mansfield District Council, MPAC and the police.