Bars bring in safety measures in response to Girls Night In campaign

BUSINESSES are providing more safety measures to reduce incidents of spiking, sexual harassment, and sexual assault, following the launch of the Girls Night In campaign.

Koi Koi is one of several island businesses implementing safety policies following the Girls Night In campaign. Owner Dominic Watson is putting notices up in the toilets with an emergency number and safe word for women who might feel threatened on a night out. He is holding up an example of the text that will appear on signs he is getting made up professionally. (Picture By Peter Frankland, 30175590)

StopTopps to cover drinks have been ordered by Fusion Nightclub and London House Pub, and venues including Koi Koi and St James have introduced safe words.

‘Businesses are actively engaging with us and putting policies in place,’ said a Girls Night In spokeswoman.

‘It’s really simple things and they make people feel a lot better.’

Koi Koi was the first business to engage and now has a phone number displayed behind toilet doors to be called if individuals feel at risk.

‘I don’t want girls and guys to feel vulnerable,’ said owner Dominic Watson.

‘We wanted an added sense of security – this is really important and we want to nip it in the bud.’

Within an hour of publicising this, Koi Koi received more than 320 likes on social media.

‘I saw the Girls Night In page four or five days ago and contacted them straight away,’ said Mr Watson.

‘It’s a very serious situation. We’re just trying to work together.’

He said he had not seen any incidents of spiking at Koi Koi, but reassured islanders that CCTV was in place.

‘I just want to do what is best for people so they are safe – that’s all I care about.’

London House landlord Peter Emans said he hoped the StopTopps would arrive sometime this week.

‘We’re lucky enough that spiking hasn’t been an issue on the Bridge but there’s no harm having them as a precautionary measure.’

The Girls Night In spokeswoman said they wanted to find out what would work best for business and said that some places, such as Balthazar, already had safe words in place prior to the campaign.

‘It’s most important that all businesses contact us and engage – we’re trying to work with them not against them.’

The organisation has planned a boycott of Town on 19 November to highlight concerns.

They said the idea had been extremely well-received but understood not everyone could avoid Town that evening, and did not want to ruin anyone’s night.

‘We are overwhelmed and are close to 1,000 followers on Instagram – the page has been up for less than a week.’

n For more information, see the Instagram page @girlsnightingsy.