A 16-year-old girl was rescued by officers from H&F's Law Enforcement Team after being harassed late at night by a man in Fulham.
The H&F officers stepped in after coming across an intoxicated young woman alone with a much older man. The two were sat at a bus stop at 2.30am near a bar in Fulham Broadway.
The three LET officers immediately noticed that the girl appeared to be 'very upset' and arrived in time to witness the man's alarming behaviour towards the girl. "He had his arm around the female's neck and pulled her towards him. It looked forced," reported LET officer Daniel Nurse.
Meanwhile, a couple of bystanders had approached the pair and started quizzing the man on his actions. Officer Nurse said: "The guy sat in silence, but every time they tried to talk directly to the girl, he adjusted his grip around her neck and pulled her further away from them. That's when we knew."
The three officers separated the man from the girl. While one of the officers took the man aside, officer Nurse discovered that she had been separated from her friends earlier that night. She had only recently turned 16.
"It quickly became clear that she was highly intoxicated. I asked her if she knew the man – she said that she had met him inside the bar but looked very confused," officer Nurse remembered.
During their conversation, the girl informed the two officers that she had no money to make her way back home and that the man 'was getting her an Uber home'.
"I told her that this wasn't a good idea and asked if any of her friends could help instead," officer Nurse added. The H&F officers helped her get a hold of a friend, who booked a cab on her behalf. The LET officers comforted the young girl and made sure to stay by her side until the cab arrived and picked her up to take her home safely.
Keeping H&F safe
Officers from our 72-strong LET work with the Met Police and other emergency services to keep residents safe.
This collaborative approach enables the council to prevent, detect and crackdown on local crime more quickly and effectively. Our officers patrol the borough 24/7.
If you see them out and about and want to say hello or need help, please approach them. They are easily recognisable by their uniform – red tie, high-vis jacket and hat – and will always identify themselves as council officers through their H&F staff and warrant cards.
Prioritising women's safety at night
In a survey of residents, conducted in 2021 to inform the development of our new strategy to end Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), many women admitted to feeling unsafe at night. Many also reported they'd been threatened and harassed by men.
To show our LET's commitment to prioritising women's safety, all officers undergo special VAWG training as part of their induction. In addition, we've joined forces with specialist VAWG charity Standing Together to provide advanced training to the dedicated VAWG leads among the officers – our Women's Safety Champions.
To ensure the safety of all women and girls, we've increased the numbers of LET patrols in local night time hotspots, especially Uxbridge Road in Shepherds Bush.
When planning a night out, always make sure you know how you'll get home. If you're using public transport the TfL Journey Planner can help you plan your journey in advance.
If you ever feel unsafe during the night, you can approach the bar staff in any licensed night-time venue in H&F to 'Ask for Angela'. This will let them know that you require assistance – whether that is to get a hold of a friend or family member, or to organise a taxi.
Learn more about Ask for Angela.
Texting 'HOME' to 60835 is a quick and easy way to get numbers for licensed minicab and black cab firms.
With the increase of unlicensed drivers, please only book a minicab with a licensed operator via an app, phone, or at their office. Only licensed minicab companies will keep a record of your journey.
And remember, only black taxis with orange taxi lights can be hailed down on the street.
For more Safer Travel at Night related advice, particularly around the use of the use of licensed cabs, visit the TfL website.
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