It’s a situation we have all found ourselves in – going out to meet friends for a drink, taking the car and promising to stick to the cola.

But a bit of peer pressure is all it takes before you suddenly find yourself over the drink-drive limit and stuck with the problem – how do I get home and will my car be safe overnight?

You end up in a taxi, but you still have to fetch your car the next day.

Now an initiative tested on the streets of London could put an end to that problem for revellers in Shrewsbury.

The scheme would see “scootermen” driving revellers home in their own cars.

The ScooterMAN scheme was launched in London 10 years ago and provides fully insured chauffeurs to drive you and your car home.  

Entrepreneur Ben Lloyd, of Cherry Orchard, has now launched the scheme in Shrewsbury.

He said: “It’s a simple idea, but a great one. You call us and tell us where you are and scooterman rides out to meet you on a custom-made collapsible scooter, which is folded up into a set of protective bags, put in the boot of your car and then you are driven home safely before scooterman rides off on the scooter to the next customer.

“Scooterman isn’t just a service for high-rolling business individuals who drive to work and find themselves having to entertain clients or enjoy a drink with workmates at the end of the day – it’s a very affordable service for the local community faced with driving home.”

Mr Lloyd said although the scheme is usually used in bigger cities he felt Shrewsbury “ticked all the boxes”.

“I could think of lots of times when I would have used the service and I think it is a fantastic idea,” he added.

The service was launched in early October and Mr Lloyd says it has been very successful so far.

“The feedback from all the customers that have used us has been fantastic.

“It looks like a service they are going to use time and time again,” Mr Lloyd said.

For further information on the scooterMAN service, log onto www.scooterman.co.uk 

Reservations can be made by calling 0333 666 1999.

All scooterMEN are aged over 23, and are experienced drivers with a full driving licence, are comprehensively insured to drive any vehicle up to a replacement value of £60,000.

By Rhea Parsons