Plan for phone line to help protect lone women shelved by BT

Privately-run £50m scheme backed by former home secretary was mooted after 2021 murder of Sarah Everard

Plans for a privately run emergency phone line for women walking alone, promised after the murder of Sarah Everard, have been shelved.

The proposal by BT for a service to help protect women travelling alone was welcomed by the then home secretary Priti Patel, when it was mooted in October 2021. Patel called it “exactly the kind of innovative scheme” she wanted to get going as soon as was possible, while the Home Office said it welcomed “joint working between the private sector and government”.