Street harassment: 'I’m a woman walking to work – leave me alone'

Some women say construction workers had told them they wanted to "bend them over" (illustrative image)

A woman who walks past a building site to get to work has said she is being sexually harassed on a regular basis and now has "high levels of anxiety".

She is one of more than 10 who told a councillor they had experienced lewd jeers or gestures from some Legacie workers on Ordsall Lane in Salford.

A nearby flat resident said she had to "hide behind the sofa" to try to stop a worker taking photos as he stared in.

Legacie Developments said it would take action over inappropriate behaviour.

Liberal Democrats Councillor Alex Warren has been looking into reports of sexual harassment linked to the Legacie construction site on Ordsall Lane for over a year.

He said he had been "flooded with messages".

Alison* told BBC Radio Manchester she had been "wolf-whistled, honked at and [they] shout sexual remarks at me".

She said site workers "made comments about my appearance" and remarked they wanted to "bend me over".

Cable ties

The regular barrage made her commute stressful, she said.

"I'm a woman walking to work - leave me alone. I have suffered from high levels of anxiety because of this."

Alison said she had also overheard some Legacie workers talk about how they would have sex with a girl "whether she liked it or not".

"[He] took out cable ties and demonstrated to the men how they would use them on her".

Kate*, a 19-year-old, said she had been similarly harassed, adding: "They just shout really inappropriate things, about me having a big bum and stuff."

The women say they endure comments about their appearance and suggestions about sexual acts

She said: "They'll just start whistling at you and shouting not very nice things that you don't really want to be hearing when you're just walking to work.

"One of them turned around and shouted he wanted to get me in the back of the van and bend me over."

Kate doubts reporting the events would have much impact, adding: "I don't really think they'd be able to do anything because it's just cat calling".

"It's just something that happens."

Sexual harassment: What is the law?

Sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual behaviour that makes someone feel upset, scared, offended or humiliated, or is meant to make them feel that way, as defined by Rape Crisis.

Currently, there is no specific law against sexual harassment.

But it can fall under the umbrella of criminal offences such as harassment, the Public Order Act, sexual assault and some types of indecency.

But soon, sexual harassment on the street could be recognised as a specific crime.

The Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Bill has been passed by the House of Commons and is now being considered by The House of Lords.

A 2021 report by UN Women estimated that over 70% of women in the UK had experienced sexual harassment in public.

But just 4% of them said they had reported the incidents to an official organisation.

Another woman, Gemma*, who lives near the Legacie site, said that, whilst in her flat, a worker had stared into her window for 20 minutes.

"He was telling me to come round the side, and doing the phone signal to me so [I] assumed that meant so I could get his number," she said.

"[He] took photos of me... and I was hiding behind the sofa so he couldn't see me.

"When I came up [to the window] that's when he started waving. He made me feel gross. I didn't realise how far into the flat he could see."

Mr Warren said he had also heard from women who had been photographed and jeered at by workers while walking their dogs, and some said they were filmed in their pyjamas.

Salford street harassment: "It made me feel gross"

Listen now on BBC Sounds.

Greater Manchester Police advise women who feel safe to do so to report sexual harassment to the force

Greater Manchester's Deputy Mayor, Kate Green, described the behaviour these women have experienced as "some of the worst I have ever come across".

"It's absolutely disgusting. Every woman, every girl knows how you feel when you receive this kind of sexual harassment - it's not banter, it's not fun."

Supt James Faulkner from Greater Manchester Police said sexual harassment was under-reported as most women had unfortunately "become accustomed" to this kind of behaviour.

"They are sadly used to being catcalled, treated as objects and sexualised in society and that's something that as a society we need to try and address and change," he said.

"I would very strongly encourage anybody that has experienced this to report it to the police."

What can you do if you are being sexually harassed?

Get to a safe place: Supt Faulkner advises anyone who experiences sexual harassment to "get to a place of safety and call the police".

Report it: If you feel safe to do so, you can report it to police by calling 101. If you are in danger, call 999.

Keep a record: Including dates, times and details of what happened.

Get help: Victim Support operates a free and confidential 24/7 helpline and live chat service.

Legacie Developments, which runs the Ordsall Lane site, sent a letter, seen by the BBC, to Ordsall residents in April 2022 and promised "relevant individuals would be removed from the site immediately".

It apologised to anyone who had experienced inappropriate behaviour and asked them to send in photos of any perpetrators "if they felt comfortable to do so".

But a follow-up letter sent to Mr Warren in May this year said three men on the site had been given "warnings on future conduct" after being identified through photographs.

In a statement, the firm said: "Legacie Developments take allegations of alleged inappropriate behaviour by staff or contractors extremely seriously.

"If we receive evidence that any personnel connected to the business has used lewd or derogatory language, has acted inappropriately, or caused offence to anyone, then appropriate disciplinary action will be taken."

*Alison, Kate and Gemma's names have been changed to protect their identities.

Additional reporting by Rachael Lazaro and Jonathan Fagg.

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