Minister tested Ask for Angela scheme undercover

A authorities curate has revealed she covertly tested the Ask for Angela information strategy astatine venues crossed the UK until she became excessively well-known to proceed the undercover checks.

The scheme, launched successful 2016 and named aft Angela Crompton who was killed by her husband, allows radical to discreetly awesome they request assistance by utilizing a codification connection astatine participating venues.

Jess Phillips, curate for safeguarding and unit against women and girls, disclosed her concealed visits aft a BBC probe found much than fractional of participating venues failed to instrumentality the strategy properly.

Ms Phillips says she recovered the effect successful the pubs and bars she checked herself wholly unsatisfactory.

"I person tested the Ask for Angela strategy a fig of times, not conscionable successful London, but astir the state and wherever I spot it," Ms Phillips told the BBC.

"And I person to say, I person ever recovered the effect wanting."

Ms Phillips added that she "likes to test" information systems similar Ask for Angela, but has go excessively good known present to continue.

Her comments came aft BBC undercover researchers posed arsenic a mates connected a date, with a pistillate researcher approaching barroom unit appearing distressed and asking for Angela.

The probe recovered wide disorder among staff, with galore wholly unaware of what the codeword meant contempt their venues displaying Ask for Angela posters.

At much than fractional of the 25 London venues tested, unit were wholly unaware of what the exigency codeword meant contempt their venues displaying Ask for Angela posters.

The BBC received akin reports from astir the UK.

Ms Phillips praised the BBC's investigation, saying she felt "really grateful to the bully enactment done by BBC London successful highlighting that".

The minister, who antecedently worked processing services for victims of home maltreatment astatine Women's Aid successful the West Midlands, emphasised that information schemes were "meaningless if you don't instrumentality things decently connected the ground".

She said: "None of these schemes are ever acceptable for intent if they are not trained properly.

"New laws, things written down connected fancy scrolls that beryllium successful the basement of the House of Commons... that's meaningless if you don't instrumentality things decently connected the ground."

Her comments travel aft the authorities announced caller grooming initiatives astir spiking.

Ms Phillips stressed the value of maintaining ongoing grooming alternatively than "pink washing" venues by simply displaying posters.

Following the BBC investigation, Cambridgeshire, West Midlands and Hertfordshire constabulary forces announced they had conducted spot checks. The BBC findings reflector akin failures successful the scheme's implementation reported by women's information groups crossed different parts of the UK.

Staff astatine ample chains including Greene King and JD Wetherspoon were among those who did not recognise the codification word.

Greene King said it was acrophobic by the BBC's findings and pledged to reappraisal however the strategy was communicated to its teams, portion JD Wetherspoon said it would supply further grooming if necessary.

Westminster City Council presently makes information successful the Ask for Angela strategy a cardinal origin erstwhile deciding to assistance intoxicant licences.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds of nationalist wealth has been spent promoting the inaugural by constabulary and section councils.

The information strategy has since dispersed to different countries including Canada and the Netherlands.