Women's charter aims to boost nights-out safety

Bartender Alicia Dean Woods said some people did not seem to understand "no"

Night-time venues are being urged to sign up to a city charter to help keep women safe on nights out.

The Women's Night Safety Charter sets out guidance for venues and councils, including better training for staff and to encourage reporting of harassment.

The charter, to be launched in Coventry, comes as a survey of 2,000 women shows many felt unsafe.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said the charter had "real practical actions to help bolster women's safety".

The charter was welcomed by Alicia Dean Woods, who works at the Old Windmill pub on Spon Street in Coventry.

She said: "People definitely don't know what no means these days, I think."

Peter Dunkley said there were a lot of "pests" in Coventry

On one occasion, she said she had left work and gone to wait for a taxi, only to be surrounded by a group of men who insisted she went home with them.

"I think that happened for about 10 minutes," she said, before the taxi arrived and she was able to escape.

She did say she felt safe inside the pub however.

"I have had experiences where a man has been very forward as they're drunk, but in this pub particularly it gets dealt with very quickly," she said.

'Lots of pests'

Peter Dunkley, who also works at the pub, said: "I think overall there's a lot of people around, so people should be safe.

"[But] I think there's a lot of pests, I think young girls are pestered and perhaps it's worse now than it has been for a long time."

Dozens of businesses have signed up to the charter, which also commits them to appoint a night-time women's safety champion, make it easier for staff and the public to report unacceptable behaviour and look at the design of their premises, to make them safe environments.

The charter is due to be launched at the HMV Empire later.