THAMES Valley Police's award-winning police programme which saw undercover officers patrol nightclubs could be rolled out across the country to protect women.

Plain clothes police officers could patrol bars and nightclubs around the country as part of plans to protect women from 'predatory' offenders.

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Following a meeting of the Government’s Crime and Justice Taskforce chaired by the Prime Minister, Downing Street said it was taking a series of 'immediate steps' to improve security.

Among them is to roll-out across the country pilots of a programme where uniformed and plain clothes officers seek to actively identify predatory and suspicious offenders in the night time economy.

Dubbed ‘Project Vigilant’, the programme can involve officers attending areas around clubs and bars undercover, along with increased police patrols as people leave at closing time.

Project Vigilant was originally launched in 2019 by Thames Valley Police, and last year won a crime prevention award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Other steps unveiled by Downing Street include a doubling of the Safer Streets fund – which provides neighbourhood measures such as better lighting and CCTV – to £45 million.

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It also said ministers were committed to working with police forces and with police and crime commissioners to ensure the measures were more focused on preventing sexual violence.

Boris Johnson said it could mean siting measures in parks and routes used by women on their walks home.

“The horrific case of Sarah Everard has unleashed a wave of feeling about women not feeling safe at night. We must do everything we can to ensure our streets are safe,” he said.

“Ultimately, we must drive out violence against women and girls and make every part of the criminal justice system work to better protect and defend them.”

The meeting took place as demonstrators again took to the streets of central London to protest at the policing of a vigil for Ms Everard on Saturday.

There were a number of arrests after the police ordered the protesters to disperse, warning they were in breach of coronavirus regulations.

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Earlier the PM backed Metropolitan Police chief Dame Cressida Dick following calls for her resignation in the wake of the weekend’s events on Clapham Common where crowds gathered to remember the 33-year-old marketing executive.

Serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, has been charged with her kidnapping and murder.

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