Ipswich wins grant to try to make streets safer for women

The money will go towards introducing measures to reduce crime and help women feel safer in the Norwich Road area

Government funding is to be used to try to make improvements to an area of Ipswich to help women feel safer.

Ipswich Borough Council was successful in its bid for a £124,391 grant from the Safer Streets Fund.

The money will go towards introducing measures such as better surveillance in the Norwich Road area.

The government increased the size of the fund - which provides measures such as better lighting and CCTV - to £45m after Sarah Everard's death.

The 33-year-old was kidnapped, raped and murdered by serving Metropolitan police officer Wayne Couzens as she walked home from a friend's house in south London on 3 March.

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Alasdair Ross, portfolio holder for community protection at the Labour-run council, said: "Sarah Everard's tragic death and the devastating details that have come to light since have highlighted public concerns nationally about the safety of women and children in public places.

"Our bid for further Safer Streets funding focuses on how we can address those fears locally to ensure that everyone feels safer."

"I'm very pleased that we have been successful in winning the money and will now be able to introduce changes that will help address the general feelings of unsafety among women and girls."

Tim Passmore, Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, said the money would "make a tangible difference to the safety of everyone in the Norwich Road area".

"I hope this significant investment and our particular focus on improving women and girls' perceptions of safety in public places will also help improve confidence in the area," he added.