Research shows London pubs are failing to enforce the Ask for Angela safety plan

London pubs are facing a setback after reports suggest a vital safety codeword program has been developed to support customers in need. is not performed properly.

An investigation found that staff at pubs, bars and clubs that have signed up to the initiative often ignore the code word, with a customer in need saying ‘Angela’ to discreetly ask for help.

The ‘Ask for Angela’ programme, aimed at making nightlife safer, especially for vulnerable women, has been adopted by thousands of venues across the country, but is reportedly failing in practice.

Helena Conibear, CEO of charity against spikesAlcohol Education Trust, narrated The independent that some staff have not been properly trained in rolling out the scheme.

Covert recordings by BBC journalists found that staff in half of the London locations they went to – including leading chains – did not respond to the codeword, with the company receiving reports of similar problems from across the UK.

Helena Conibear

Ms Connibear said: “The plan itself is very good, but it is not something that should be taken lightly or given lip service to, and this is essential if we want it to be trusted.”

She warned that training will not be rolled out on the ground as she urged all customers to know they will be helped if they go and ask for Angela.

Ms Connibear said the initiative is “absolutely essential” for those affected, adding that if we are to champion it, we must be able to trust it.

“I’m surprised this is the case because it appears to be a very well-executed plan,” she added. “I’m shocked. We need programs like this, so I don’t want to denigrate the program, but it just needs to be implemented properly.”

The Ask for Angela initiative – which operates in thousands of locations across England – is named after Angela Crompton, who was murdered by her husband. Employees are expected to intervene discreetly when they hear the code word and get the person to safety – by taking him to his friends, calling a taxi or contacting the police if necessary.

Bryony Beynon

Bryony Beynon, co-founder of campaign group Good Night Out, said they have “been campaigning for ten years to make the prevention of gender-based violence a licensing requirement, but we are deeply concerned that councils are specifically linking this to code-worded based response models” .

She added: “As the BBC investigation sadly shows, this approach can turn what should be a vital safety priority into a tick-box exercise.

“Sexual harassment is about having your choices taken away and being silenced. Any response model that, intentionally or unintentionally, replicates both feelings for a victim will need work to be effective in practice.”

Ms Benyon argued that they have seen all too often that a “light implementation” of the plan “can lead to a ‘call her a taxi’ policy, where victims are ostracized while perpetrators go unchallenged,” adding admits that this is “dangerous and unfair”. .

She said: “We welcome the conversation and would like to emphasize that busy, overworked and underpaid nightlife staff should not be individually blamed for these failures.”