Hull University walk safe group set up after Libby Squire case

Female students can ask if anyone else in their area is able to walk with them

Students at the University of Hull have set up an online group to help women get home safely at night following the disappearance of Libby Squire.

Ms Squire, 21, has not been seen since a night out on 1 February.

Hull Girl Gang was set up at the start of March and has almost 1,000 members.

Co-founder Laura Challinor said: "It's great... so many women are willing to look out for each other." The closed Facebook group lets students arrange to walk home with others after dark.

Hull student Libby Squire has been missing since February

The 22-year-old politics student set it up along with friend and fellow student Pheobe Bastiani after being inspired by a similar scheme at Lincoln University.

The pair said a lot of work around moderation was being done to ensure "the right kind of people were signing up".

Psychology student Miss Bastiani, 21, said: "When people join they have to answer a set of questions and we go through and see the profiles of every person.

"But we also say to people, if you're going to meet up with someone then check out their Facebook yourself, see who their mutual friends are."

The students who set up said it could also be used to warn others of dodgy experiences

Lots of students have been using the group, arranging to meet up and walk home from the university library or a night out, Miss Challinor said.

She added: "Lots of places around the area are not very well lit so student safety has always been in the back of our minds.

"I've had so many people come up to me at the university to say this is such a good thing, it's just what we've needed for so long."