Women's safety: App will allow CCTV to monitor journey home

A new phone app is being developed to allow women to ask CCTV operators in a city to monitor them as they walk home.

The app is part of a £400,000 project in Lincoln to improve street safety in the wake of a number of attacks on women across the UK.

Other measures will include expanding the city's CCTV coverage and a training scheme for bar and door staff.

However, privacy campaign Big Brother Watch branded the government-funded idea as a "terribly misguided policy".

Silkie Carlo, director of civil liberties at Big Brother Watch, said research showed "CCTV does not prevent crime and certainly does not stop men attacking or harassing women".

The initiative is being set up by Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Marc Jones who described it as "one of the most significant steps ever taken to protect women and girls in Lincoln".

"It is designed to tackle the problem of keeping them safe through education, technology, training, heightened awareness and partnership working and I hope this holistic approach will provide long-lasting solutions," he said.

"This is just one step on a journey towards ensuring women and girls can be and feel safe but I believe it is a very important one."

The PCC's office could not give a timetable for when the app will be available.

The Home Office cash will also fund training for bar and door staff and taxi drivers "regarding vulnerability and tackling predators".

The Ask for Angela campaign, which was developed in the city and allows women to use a code word to alert people if they feel threatened, will also be re-launched.

City of Lincoln Council, which runs the CCTV network, said although it was targeted at women, the app would also be available to anyone who felt vulnerable.

Councillor Sue Burke, the council's portfolio holder for reducing inequality, said: "Adding that extra layer of reassurance during an evening will help give both residents and visitors peace of mind when walking alone at night, and we look forward to working with our contractors in developing the app."

Ms Carlo said: "This is a terribly misguided policy that in essence posits women being tracked and monitored by strangers as a solution for male violence.

"If anything, this sounds ripe for abuse and could put vulnerable women in danger.

"Absurd policies like these show that police and authorities are good at building a surveillance state but bad at protecting women."

Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].