Birmingham: Nearly one in three feel unsafe walking the city at night

It comes as two thirds of women say they feel unsafe alone in the evenings - a sharp rise from a few years ago.

Transcript

00:00More people in the Midlands are feeling unsafe on the streets at night. A recent survey found

00:06that almost one in three feel always or often unsafe walking home alone, and the same goes

00:11for alleyways. Calls to charities like Strut Safe are rising, reflecting wider concerns.

00:17Women are particularly affected. Almost two thirds of those who walk alone at night now

00:21say they feel unsafe, a sharp rise from a few years ago. More people are also taking

00:26precautions with four in ten women regularly changing their behaviour, from avoiding certain

00:31areas to carrying alarms. Campaigners say more needs to be done to make Birmingham safer,

00:37with better street lighting and stronger police patrols in key areas. The city has already

00:42trialled extra lighting in problem spots, but many argue it's not enough. There are

00:46also calls for tougher action against street harassment and better public transport safety

00:51to help people get home without fear. Some locals say they now actively avoid walking

00:56alone at night, choosing to take taxis or lifts instead.