New app for women to report spiking in Gloucestershire

Flare has been developed by Gloucester Police

A mobile phone app to help to tackle violence and intimidation towards women and girls has been launched.

Flare allows users to anonymously report incidents like abuse and spiking, with the data used by police to help target their resources.

The software can be installed on mobile devices and will allow users to say where and how they have felt unsafe.

It is free and has been developed by Gloucestershire Police, with the help of funding from the Home Office.

Amelia, a student at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, said she was convinced her drink had been spiked in a club recently.

Amelia believes her drink was spiked, but did not feel comfortable going to the police

"I've had to be filled-in on details by friends who were with me, because I just completely blacked out," she said.

"I felt absolutely horrendous for a couple of days, no girl wants to feel that way."

But Amelia said she could not face contacting the police.

"It's quite mentally draining to have to go through that process, so I think it put me off a bit."

The force said it was hoping that being able to log the details anonymously on a mobile phone app will encourage women and girls who have felt unsafe to come forward.

Acting Chief Constable Rhiannon Kirk wants women and girls to use the app to share their experiences

"People don't always want to bother the police, but we actually really need to know the lived experience of women and girls in Gloucestershire," said Acting Chief Constable Rhiannon Kirk.

"We can focus our patrols and work with education partners to make people feel safer and alter some of these behaviours," she added.

Local nightclub owners are supporting the idea, hoping the information will help them target problems with drink spiking.

Nightclub owner Daniel Lafford said the technology can help identify where and how drinks were spiked

Daniel Lafford, from Reva Nightclub in Cirencester, said: "If we are not aware that there's an issue happening, how are we meant to deal with it?

"We've got kits to test the to alcohol, and see if it's been contaminated. If is has, then we can follow our CCTV and and follow the chain of events."

If Flare is successful the developers hope the app can be rolled out across the country.