Weston's Grand Pier offers 'safe space' following Sarah Everard's death
Bosses at Weston's Grand Pier have designated it a safe space for those feeling vulnerable following the death of Sarah Everard.
The 33-year-old went missing while walking home in London and was later found dead in Kent.
The case has sparked a nationwide movement calling for an end to violence against women.
The Grand Pier says it has been "very affected" by reports of what happened to Ms Everard, and wants members of the community to know a safe space is available to them.
Head of Operations Remy Haudecoeur said he wants to prevent anything similar from happening closer to home and is encouraging other local businesses to follow suit.
He has urged anyone who feels unsafe on the seafront to make use of the round the clock security on the pier while they wait for friends, family or a taxi.
He said: "At the Pier, we always try to help and support the community. We have all been very affected by Sarah Everard's story, and thought about what we could do to help prevent this from happening again to anyone feeling frightened or vulnerable, not just females.
"As we have 24-hour security on the Pier, we thought anyone in danger could be offered a safe place to wait for a friend family member or a taxi.
"We employ a lot of young people in our seasonal teams and would hate to think that they could not call upon us if they needed to. This is just a way of extending that a little further."
The Grand Pier wants to go one step further than providing just one safe space, however.
Staff are now encouraging other businesses to support their campaign to form a network of places people can turn to if required.
Mr Haudecoeur added: "We now know that others businesses in the town have expressed an interest in joining us to create a map of safe places for Weston-super-Mare.
"We believe little things like this can help our community. No one should feel insecure at night when walking home. We hope others city will join the movement."
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