NORTH Yorkshire’s new police, fire and crime commissioner wants to extend a pub-based scheme aimed at helping women who feel unsafe on a date.

Philip Allott says tackling violence against women and girls will be one of his top priorities.

His draft police and crime plan includes proposals to expand the ’Ask for Angela’ scheme first introduced in York in 2018.

Under the scheme a woman (or man) who feels unsafe on a date can go up to the bar of participating pubs and ‘ask for Angela’.

That’s a code meaning ‘I need help’. Bar staff can then help the person quietly leave without being noticed – and can even call a taxi or phone a friend to come and provide a lift home.

“We will be looking to extend that,” Mr Allott told The Press.

His plans to tackle violence against women – which has become a national talking point since the murder of York woman Sarah Everard in London in March – also include encouraging selected beauticians to look out for signs of abuse, such as bruising, in their clients.

The idea would be for them to gently try to encourage the client to open up – and possibly even refer them for help, if they were being abused.

That would require huge sensitivity and careful handling by the beauticians, Mr Allott admitted.

“But we will be providing training.”

In a wide-ranging interview with The Press to mark one month since he was elected, Mr Allott spoke about his determination to tackle dog crime – one of his campaign issues.

A recent survey by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners found three-quarters of dog owners are becoming more scared about walking their pet because of the risk it will be stolen.

“We have now appointed an inspector with North Yorkshire Police who is responsible for dog crime,” Mr Allott said.

The conservative former Knaresborough mayor and Harrogate district councillor, who once served in the TA, said he was also determined to ‘beef up’ action against rural crime.

His office has been awarded nearly £430,000 from the Home Office as part of the ‘Safer Streets Fund’ to pay for high-tech efforts to prevent crime and protect homeowners in more of North Yorkshire’s border communities.

Some of the money will be used to pay for alarm systems and security improvements to doors, windows, garages and sheds for up to 1,600 homes and 50 farms in in Carlton, Camblesforth, Hirst Courtney, Birkin and Hillam near Selby - areas close to the border with West, South and East Yorkshire.

Money will also be spent on mobile ANPR cameras which can be used at different points along the county border.

“The use of these cameras is particularly important given the impact they have spotting potential burglars before they can commit an offence,” Mr Allott said.

Mr Allott said he had also completed a draft fire service plan.

One of the key issues to be tackled for the county’s fire service was historic under-funding, he said.

“The fire service needs some long-term investment,” he said. “We have some new fire engines, but we need to continue to improve our equipment.”

Mr Allott said consultation on the region’s fire and policing plans would begin ‘in the next couple of weeks’.