Phone app promotes safe night-time walking in Bradford

The app shows safe places and the location of the city's Street Angels and evening marshal patrols

A free mobile app is being used to encourage a feeling of personal safety in Bradford.

WalkSafe promotes picking safer walking routes and allows users to be monitored by friends and family, sending an alert if they do not return home.

It also gives the locations of the city's official "safe spaces" and live updates on the city's Street Angels and evening marshal patrols.

The app is supported by Bradford's Business Improvement District (BID).

BID's manager, Jonny Noble, said the organisation had got involved because there was a perception "about Bradford feeling unsafe" at night.

"It's not particularly an unsafe city centre," he said. "We have our problems like every other place does, I'm not going to deny that.

"It's about empowering people, giving them the opportunity to plan their route, plan where they are meeting their friends. Then if people don't turn up on time we can give them a shout."

Bradford is the UK's first area to use a customised version of the app

The app uses police data plotted on maps to locate local crime hotspots. It was developed by entrepreneur Emma Kay after she experienced harassment and intimidation on nights out.

Ms Kay lives in London and Walksafe is a national app, which has received over half a million downloads.

Customised

Bradford is the first area in the country to get a customised version of the software. This has involved adding dozens of safe spaces to the map, in Bradford city centre. Many of them are affiliated with the "Ask for Angela" scheme.

"We also have a mobile safe space, operated by Bradford's evening and night marshals," said Mr Noble.

Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said she hoped the app would encourage more people to feel safe in Bradford.

"Everything that contributes to the safety of women and girls is clearly a bonus," she said.

"We want women not just to be safe, but to also feel safe. Because if you don't feel safe" you don't fully take part in the life of your community, she said. "That's not fair, that's not right."

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