Sarah Everard death sees surge in downloads of an app created after murder of Gloucester hairdresser
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The father of a young hairdresser who was murdered by her jealous ex says an app his charity developed has soared in demand following the recent death of Sarah Everard.
Hollie Gazzard was stabbed to death in 2014 while working at a hair salon in Gloucester.
A year after Hollie’s death, her father helped develop an app in her memory, called Hollie Guard.
The app turns a smart phone into a safety device and has already helped protect the lives of others.
Nick Gazzard said: "We have had lots of feedback from survivors who say 'the app has really helped me - it saved my life'.
“When you hear those kinds of stories it makes you more determined to carry on and to get it across to as many people as possible.”
By shaking or tapping your phone the app can alert friends and family you are in trouble and tell them where you are. It can also record what is happening as potential evidence.
It was developed six years ago - but it is only since the recent death of Sarah Everard in London that it has really taken off.
Sarah Everard disappeared in South London on her way home from a friend's house. A police officer has been charged with her murder and kidnap.
The case sparked calls for more action on male violence against women and girls and Hollie Guard has seen a rise in downloads.
The app has now been downloaded 240,000 times - with 80,000 of those happening in the past few weeks.
Hollie’s father Nick Gazzard said: "It has been so popular. We have had so many inquiries, not only from the UK but throughout the world - Australia, America, Canada, Cyprus, all sorts of places.
“We do limit to the UK at the moment because while it is free to download it does cost us here at the Hollie Gazzard Trust.
“We think Hollie Guard could have helped Hollie because for the last year of her life she was domestically abused, she was stalked and I think it would really have helped her.”
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