Women and girls in Redbridge are being invited to attend events to share their thoughts on what can be done to make Redbridge safer.

The events, hosted by Redbridge Council, are virtual and confidential and are only open to residents who identify as women, as well as non-binary people.

The aim of the listening events is to provide women with a safe and comfortable space to share their personal experiences and views on how to make the borough safer.

The council is looking for specific examples, such as identifying areas that need to be better lit, or pathways that feel unsafe to walk along.

The next session is on Monday, May 24 at 12.30pm, with a further two events on June 2 and June 9.

Each event is one hour long with 30 places, which must be booked in advance.

Council leader Jas Athwal said: “We all deserve to feel safe wherever we live and it is unacceptable that many women in our borough and across the world have experienced harassment, abuse and sometimes even violence.

"Following the tragic death of Sarah Everard, there was an outpouring of grief and honest discourse.

"I pledged then that our council would take time to listen to local women and to act on their wishes to make Redbridge a safer place for everyone.

"This series of listening exercises is one part of our work to make our borough safer for women and girls, alongside our borough-wide survey, soon to be launched crime commission and domestic abuse help service, Reach Out.

"There is work to do but we are prepared to do whatever it takes to make Redbridge safe.”

Residents are also encouraged to take part in an online survey about safety in Redbridge.

The survey and listening events are direct results of feedback from residents earlier this year which revealed a significant number of women and girls in Redbridge felt unsafe at home, on the streets and online.

To join one of the events sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/redbridge-womens-listening-exercise-tickets-152405160939.