Valentine's night getting safer in Wiltshire venues, says PCC

Venues have been signing up to a county wide 'Safety at Night' Charter

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 14th Feb 2023

Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner says Valentine's night will be safer for people venturing out this year.

Philip Wilkinson launched a Safety at Night Charter earlier this year, asking venues to sign up and pledge to help guests feel more safe and secure while using the night-time economy across Wiltshire.

It followed a survey which found just 3% of people felt safe when going out and about at night.

Wiltshire's Safety at Night Charter aims to make people feel more comfortable when they're out

The Safety at Night Charter is not just limited to bars, pubs and restaurants – it is for any organisation, establishment or venue which operates in the evening and night-time economy including cinemas, gyms, theatres, public transport operators, sport venues and more.

Wiltshire PCC Philip Wilkinson said:

“As many people will be making use of the night-time economy for Valentine’s Day, I want to thank all the venues and organisations that have pledged to help us create safer nights out for everyone in Wiltshire and Swindon, on Valentine’s Day evening and every other evening of the year.

“By going to a venue or using a service that is participating in the Safety at Night Charter you’ll know that you are in a safe environment with fully-trained staff who take the responsibility of their customers seriously, with fully operational CCTV and other safety initiatives.

“I am committed to providing a better service that meets the needs of the community to ensure these safety standards are met, which is one of the priorities set out in my Police and Crime Plan to make Wiltshire safer for those who live, work and visit here.”

If you have a business that operates in the night-time economy, you can still sign up to the Safety at Night Charter via the Police and Crime Commissioner's website.

We can tell which venues are signed up, as they'll display Safer Nights stickers in their windows.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.