Campaign highlights women's winter exercise fears

Runners have taken to the streets to raise awareness of the safety issues women face when exercising in the dark during the UK's winter months.

A night run organised by Sport England's This Girl Can campaign was held in Manchester on Monday with similar runs held across the UK as part of the 'Let's Lift the Curfew' movement.

The campaign found 72% of women change their behaviour when exercising during winter - up 26% from a similar study carried out last year.

Sport England marketing director Kate Dale said: “Violence against women and girls is an epidemic."

The Manchester runners wrote words including "exposed" and "vulnerable" on glow-in-the dark footprints to highlight how running alone made them feel.

Ms Dale added: "This should be a wake-up call for everyone - women, men, allies, and all sectors - to confront the issue head-on, with urgency and action.

"The cat calls, the harassment, the being followed - I was out running once and got my bum slapped and I didn’t realise that was assault," she added.

"You end up taking it for granted that this happens.

“We kind of self-censor ourselves, out of opportunities to be active.”

This Girl Can has called for cultural awareness and safer public spaces designed with women's safety in mind.

Eve Holt, from charity Greater Manchester Moving, said: "How nice it is when you do go out as a group and you feel safe and realise that you're not holding yourself, you’re not on guard and you are not on alert, and you are just free to enjoy it."