The Home Office has granted more than £300,000 to ensure residents feel safer on the streets of North Somerset.

Councils across the South West launched a joint bid to the Home Office's Safer Streets funding scheme - securing £1,395,345 between the authorities.

North Somerset Council's chunk of this funding, £317,694, is expected to be spent continuing its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) prevention initiatives.

The campaign already provides educational and training programmes, public engagement events, women’s outreach services and the deployment of 18 CCTV cameras across the region.

Avon and Somerset Police's Crime Commissioner has welcomed the funding, stating it will be used to protect everyone but with an emphasis on women and girls in the district.

PCC Mark Shelford said: “I am delighted that local authorities in the area have been awarded this additional Safer Street funding to support interventions tackling ASB and Violence Against Women and Girls.

“My first Police and Crime Plan priority is preventing and fighting crime so I am very supportive of the preventative interventions outlined in the bids, which include new activity as well as building on existing initiatives.

"Collaborative work must continue in order to make our public spaces safer for everyone - in particular women and girls - and I hope our local communities find this additional investment and future activity reassuring.”

The council's community safety team has confirmed it will focus on Weston as the area has been noted for its VWAG-related crime and low feelings of safety for people within those communities.

Cllr Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council’s executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, said: “The Safer Streets project across North Somerset and Somerset is hugely important.

"It presents an opportunity to work together and achieve positive outcomes in tackling Violence Against Women and Girls crimes across the area.

"I am delighted that additional funding has been secured to enable this invaluable work to continue for another year - we are fully committed to changing behaviour and increasing the feeling of safety for women and girls.”

If you want to know more about sexual harassment and violence against women and girls and how to change behaviour, visit www.saferstreetsawareness.co.uk