Action pledge as female safety fears highlighted

A large majority of women said safety fears had made them alter their run routes

Nottinghamshire Police has highlighted the locations and situations where women and girls feel unsafe as part of a campaign.

The Walk in My Shoes initiative was launched at the end of March 2025 in response to rising concerns over the treatment of women.

The survey attracted more than 3,600 responses. It found 2,700 respondents had changed their running route due to safety worries, while 2,300 had experienced unwanted behaviour.

Nottingham city centre, Newark, Mansfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Rushcliffe were identified as problem hotspots, with police saying they would increase patrols and work with partner agencies to improve lighting and CCTV.

Portia said she felt she had to keep to the side of the pavement to avoid being bumped by men

It also found almost 90% of women and girls felt most unsafe in Nottinghamshire in the evening and at night.

Problem locations identified were Angel Row and Long Row in Nottingham, the river path next to County Hall, Forest Street and Fox Street in Sutton, the Four Seasons Shopping Centre in Mansfield and Middle Gate in Newark.

Portia, who asked for her surname not to be used, said: "I don't feel safe in the city. I feel as though everybody takes it as a right for them to kind of walk towards us.

"I feel as though I have to consciously keep myself to one side of the pavement that nobody walks into me.

"To make the streets safer, I think a key thing is campaigns like this that we raise the awareness that it isn't acceptable for misogyny and verbal and physical abuse of women. That's the first point.

"The second point is for women to support each other. So how can we make sure that you can go out together to be able to do the things that you love?"

Runner Phoebe Lake said she had high hopes the survey would produce concrete results

Phoebe Lake, leader of the female running group These Girls Run, said: "As a run group we have a lot of knowledge on where we don't feel safe running, where we have been catcalled and had unwanted behaviour from men.

"I felt this survey was an incredible thing because it holds the police accountable because a lot of the time people have doubts about what is going to be done.

"With our voice we can feed important information to the police and what is being done now is just great and I am excited to be part of it."

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Angela Kandola said they worked hard to hear all voices

The top suggestions to improve safety were more police visibility in identified areas, changes to the environmental landscape such as additional CCTV, lighting and cutting back bushes and trees, and a safe space for refuge.

Police said along with extra patrols they would work with councils to improve lighting, CCTV and install help points if none were already present.

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Angela Kandola said: "Since the survey closed, we have been committed to working with partners to ensure measures are taken to improve safety.

"When we noticed there was a gap in the data, with few respondents from ethnic minority backgrounds, we extended the survey and carried out a series of direct community engagements with a range of ethnically diverse women's groups and communities across the city and county to ensure their voices were heard.

"It is vitally important that everyone has their say so we have a full picture of the concerns facing women and girls across our city and county."

Supt Heather Maelor said Nottinghamshire Police was determined to have a 'you said, we did' approach

Supt Heather Maelor, force lead for the Prevention Hub, which covers Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), said the issue was of "paramount importance".

"This is the first time we have carried out an extensive survey of this size to fully understand where women and girls feel unsafe," she said.

"From the start we were committed to ensuring this survey was a 'you said, we did' approach.

"It is more important than ever that we now work with our partners to deliver these changes. Only a partnership approach is going to ensure our communities feel safer."

The survey was supported by Nottingham Forest Netball Team, Tara's Angels, and These Girls Run, all of which have spoken out about public harassment in the past.