BBCA pub employee has warned failures within the Ask for Angela security scheme are placing susceptible ladies in danger, after a BBC undercover investigation discovered greater than half of taking part venues failed to reply correctly.
The Ask for Angela initiative, a venture in place at hundreds of venues nationwide, goals to offer a discreet lifeline for individuals who consider they’re in peril.
A bar worker, who the BBC is naming solely as “Jack”, labored in three totally different venues operating the scheme from 2018 to 2024. He advised the BBC about failures in implementation.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan referred to as the BBC’s findings “stunning and unacceptable” and a authorities spokesperson mentioned they had been “deeply regarding”.
The scheme allows individuals to sign for assist on the bar through the use of the code phrase “Angela”.
Whereas aimed primarily at ladies, it may be utilized by anybody feeling unsafe at a taking part institution.
Jack mentioned that whereas venues would initially transient workers about Ask for Angela when placing up posters, the coaching would usually not be handed on to new staff.
“I discovered that they might put the posters up and issues like that, however there wasn’t actually any ample coaching on totally different eventualities that might have occurred,” he advised BBC London.
“Some individuals weren’t even conscious that we had been operating it, so if somebody would ask about Angela, then they would not actually have a clue about what is going on on.”
Jack mentioned this lack of constant coaching put susceptible ladies in danger.
“It might trigger a good larger concern then, if one thing seems to be humorous,” he mentioned.
“If there is a perpetrator making a lady really feel uncomfortable when she’s spending prolonged time up on the bar asking workers – it might put her in a extra susceptible place.”
He mentioned he believed many venues had been “simply ticking packing containers” fairly than taking their obligations significantly.
“It is kind of futile in a means, it is pointless,” he added.
The BBC secretly recorded 25 pubs, bars and clubs in London that actively promoted their involvement within the Ask for Angela initiative, together with branches of main pub chains in addition to unbiased venues.
In whole, 13 of the 25 venues visited failed to reply appropriately to the Angela code phrase.
Comparable failures have been reported throughout different elements of the UK.
Greene King mentioned it was involved concerning the BBC’s findings and pledged to assessment how the scheme was communicated to its groups.
JD Wetherspoon mentioned it had efficiently handled many examples of distressed prospects utilizing the scheme however would supply extra coaching if needed.
‘Deeply regarding’
The BBC repeatedly requested an interview with minister for ladies Jess Phillips to debate the investigation’s findings, however her workplace declined.
A authorities spokesperson mentioned the findings had been “deeply regarding” however famous Ask for Angela “isn’t a government-led scheme”.
Lots of of hundreds of kilos of taxpayer cash has been spent selling Ask for Angela by police, native councils and the mayor of London’s workplace.
Westminster Metropolis Council made participation a key issue when deciding to grant alcohol licenses.
Sylvia Oates, director of Ask for Angela, mentioned it was a “actual concern” that the scheme was not profitable in premises promoting it.
The scheme was named after Angela Crompton, who was murdered by her husband.
The protection initiative has unfold to nations all over the world, together with Canada and the Netherlands.
