"WE'RE full. None of you are coming in," shouts a doorman at the line of revellers queued up outside the Wetherspoon pub.

It is only 9.30pm, but the Art Picture House, in Haymarket Street, is already full and groups of disappointed young people are being told to find somewhere else to spend their evening.

While some move on, many wait, hoping others will soon leave and they will be able to take their place inside. Next to the queue, two police officers pick up innumerable discarded glass bottles and relay the doorman's message to the noisy crowd.

But, this is not just any Friday night in Bury town centre. It is 'Mad Friday', an evening that has acquired a reputation for being one of wild antics and carnage across the country.

While its moniker may serve only to glorify and even encourage acts of debauchery, for many it is simply a chance to let down their hair, catch up with friends, and celebrate finishing work for the Christmas period.

As thousands hit the pubs and bars across the town, one set of people who must be on the ball are the emergency services, for whom it is one of the busiest nights of the year.

As a result, tonight's policing operation is three times the size of that of a typical Friday or Saturday evening. The man overseeing it is Chief Inspector Phil Spurgeon, who took up his position in Bury earlier this year.

Prior to that, he held the position of Manchester city centre inspector, where he was responsible for ensuring the safety of tens of thousands of people during the last few Mad Fridays.

While there may be considerably fewer people descending on Bury tonight, he insists the approach taken by police does not change.

"From my 20 years of experience policing in London, Manchester, Bolton and Bury, night time economies are not really different, it is just scale," he said.

"99.9 per cent of people are decent, and they might have had a bit too much to drink, or they might not be as funny as they think they are, but they are decent people, and our job is to look after them and try to get them home safely.

"A lot of tonight is about walking, talking, engagement and visibility. We are not driving around in cars responding to stuff. 

"The briefing I have given officers is we need to be visible, we need to be talking to people, because if you do that then you will spot trouble and nip it in the bud before it starts.

"If you get those basics right, the vast majority of people have a safe and enjoyable night."

Endless streams of taxis arrive in the town centre throughout the evening, with many of those being dropped off bound for the bars in and around Silver Street and Market Street. However, the policing operation extends to premises across the town centre, including at The Rock shopping centre.

And elsewhere in the borough, additional officers are also out on the streets of Ramsbottom and Radcliffe.

In addition to patrols, officers also maintain contact with door staff and premises themselves.

Their work is also complemented by the Street Pastors, a group of volunteers who give up their free time to walk the streets and look out for those who may be worse for wear.

Over the last decade, the nature of nightlife in towns such as Bury has changed. As nightclubs shut and late-night bars and restaurants proliferate, police are having to respond accordingly.

Inspector Spurgeon explained: "It is not like town centres 10, 20 years ago when everyone came out in a short space of time and went home in a short space of time. 

"Tonight at 5pm, there were people who have gone out drinking straight after work, most of them have gone home, and others have come in since. 

"You see it in waves, and we still deal with issues at five or six in the morning. The licensing landscape has massively changed.

"Bury is really lucky because we have a really vibrant day time and night time economies that are growing. 

"We are very proud that Bury has got Purple Flag status, which is awarded to towns and cities that have got well-run, safe night time economies. We are the only town in Greater Manchester that has that, but we do not rest on our laurels because the only way we will keep it is by continuing that good work."

Ahead of the night, police have also been working alongside venues to discuss any potential problems and ensure CCTV is in operation.

There are more than 600 licensed premises in Bury, and licensing officer PC John Caulfield does his best to maintain regular contact with as many of them as possible. 

He says the number of incidents in the town centre at night has fallen in recent years, and that Bury is now a much safer place to go out than in the past.

"We get on average 10 to 20 incidents every weekend across the borough," he said. "That might just be something like drunken behaviour or a bit of fighting in a pub. It might be drug taking, but luckily there has not been anything too bad recently.

"We have done some really good work in keeping the bad element out of the town centre, and it has been quite noticeable with the reduction in incidents.

"We are slowly getting rid of that element so we can ensure it is a safe night out.

"I speak to the town centre premises on a week-to-week basis, that might be about problems they have had, or they might want to open longer.

"It is about us working together rather than us being the big hammer."

As Inspector Spurgeon and PC Caulfield make their way around the town centre, they engage in jokes and conversations with revellers, most of whom appear pleased to see them.

It is only early in the evening, but there is little sign of any tension. However, it is later on when the real challenges will arise.

"Sometimes you see a shift from happy drunk to nasty drunk, and you will see people who should have stopped drinking and gone home a long time ago," said Inspector Spurgeon.

"Our job is to make sure the tiny minority who cannot behave do not spoil it for the vast majority that do.

"I have lost count of the number of people who have come up to me tonight and said 'really pleased to see you' and shaken my hand and said 'Merry Christmas'.

"I wish we could do this every weekend, but it is challenging at the minute."

While Friday night itself passed without incident, police officers recorded nine incidents between midnight and 4.30am on Saturday morning. 

They included an assault inside a bar on Market Street, following which a 21-year-old man was taken to hospital with facial injuries, and the arrest of another man who had punched a taxi window, causing it to smash, in Bolton Road.

Four further arrests were made during the early hours, including one man being arrested for being drunk and disorderly in Haymarket Street, and another being arrested for similar in Market Street after being abusive towards door staff.

Meanwhile, police also arrested a 40-year-old man, who they saw in 'suspicious circumstances' down a side street off Bolton Road, wearing gloves and shining a torch. Upon searching the man, officers discovered a chisel in his pocket.

And shortly after 3am, an 18-year-old woman was arrested for being drunk and disorderly after causing a disturbance outside a club in Silver Street.

Speaking at the end of the night, Chief Inspector Spurgeon concluded: "The vast, vast majority of those in town had an enjoyable and safe night, with many expressing their gratitude for the increased police presence.

"Obviously the best outcome for all tonight would have been no arrests and no crimes, but given that people were out so early and in such numbers, it was inevitable that we would have some issues."