Steps to make town safer for women and girls

Festoon lighting has been added along Chain Street to improve safety at night

CCTV cameras and new streetlights have been put up in a town in a bid to improve night-time safety for women and girls.

Reading Borough Council said it had chosen walking routes, streets and car parks where residents said they felt "less safe" in the town.

The authority said the nine cameras had been added to streets and a car park, along with 12 new streetlights.

The measures also include a Safe Space, which is open on Friday and Saturday nights in Chain Street, and a phone app which advises the safest routes for women to use at night.

Festoon lighting has also been put up along Chain Street and Union Street.

A Thames Valley Police initiative to identify potential predatory offenders is also being launched, the council said.

The University of Reading and Reading College have also set up a safer students partnership.

It offers safety advice and bystander intervention training to ensure students know how to safely help someone who may be in trouble.

The safety measures have been funded with £429,000 of Safer Streets funding from the Home Office.