Police in an English seaside town have installed “chat benches” in a bid to combat loneliness in the community. Anyone who is feeling isolated or disconnected is encouraged to sit on the benches and strike up a conversation with a friendly stranger.

“The Chat Bench is a very simple concept where a sign is placed on a bench, typically in a park or a town centre, in a location used by a good cross-section of the community,” said Burnham-On-Sea Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Tracey Grobbeler to Burham-On-Sea.com.