‘Tackling all forms of violence against women is a priority for the Met.’

Following a television programme that showed a female reporter being followed and harassed, the Met has released the statement below:

Ch Supt Owain Richards of the Met’s Central West Command Unit said:“Tackling all forms of violence against women, including sexual assault, stalking and harassment, is a priority for the Met.

“We always seek to balance the needs of any victim with wider public protection. We were not approached by the programme makers, but in order to ensure we can identify any potential offenders at an early stage, we have written to them jointly with Merseyside Police asking that they share any material that may assist police.

“Any evidence of potential crimes will be assessed, and we will also consider the wider intelligence and policing picture.

“Every woman should feel safe, and we remain committed to doing everything possible to ensure that this is the case. We are supporting the Mayor of London’s refreshed strategy which champions a public health approach to ending violence against women and girls, and places a stronger emphasis on partnership working, prevention and education across a wide range of services in London.

“This includes Met support for the Mayor’s Women’s Night Safety Charter as well as other initiatives such as ‘Ask for Angela’ to help keep people safe while enjoying a night out.

“Across London, the Met has recently deployed hundreds of extra officers in town centres and high streets to reduce crime and increase confidence through greater police visibility, including for women and girls. 

“We also run operations involving officers in uniform and plain clothes in order to make busy areas hostile places for offenders, including those showing predatory behaviour towards women. This tactic is designed to prevent assaults and protect anyone who is vulnerable.”

Throughout the festive period, there will be an enhanced police presence, especially in areas such as the West End. Anyone who feels they are being harassed or in danger should approach an officer so appropriate action can be taken, or speak with staff or security personnel in and around bars and clubs.

In an emergency and if police officers aren’t nearby, please do not hesitate to call 999.

To report harassment at a later date, please call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers. You can also use the Streetsafeservice to help police by highlighting public places where you have felt unsafe due to being followed or verbally abused.