Women runners urged to share safety fears in survey

Cambridgeshire Police has asked women and girls who regularly jog or run to take part in a survey, as part of its campaign to tackle violence.

The force said people could share their experiences anonymously, with the survey asking about issues including harassment, cat-calling and feeling unsafe while running alone.

The survey also asks women whether they take precautions such as sharing their location with someone before heading out, and whether they report incidents to police.

The force said it was keen to understand the experiences of women in Cambridgeshire, to help inform future work and campaign activity.

Earlier this year, members of different running clubs told the BBC about the inappropriate and harassing behaviour they had experienced while exercising on the streets.

Research has found 68% of women experience abuse while running but only 5% report it, according to the N8 Policing Research Partnership which links police forces with universities.

Sport England and This Girl Can's campaign Let's Lift the Curfew also found a lack of light in the winter meant that 72% of women in the UK changed their exercising habits due to safety fears.

Previously, Det Supt Dave Taylor, from Cambridgeshire Police, said the force was investing in measures to help people anonymously report places where they felt unsafe, to strengthen the way it investigated rape and sexual offences.

"Women should feel safe when out exercising and we are pro-actively making our streets a hostile place for perpetrators," he added.

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