Bus company bosses in Leeds have got onboard with a scheme to help the city’s new students stay safe.
West Yorkshire Police’s annual Walksafe campaign has been boosted by a new safe haven for more than 60,000 students arriving at the city’s universities.
First bus company has provided the new facility which will be parked up in Headingley and also near the main University of Leeds campus.
It provides a base for the police, Safer Leeds, Street Angels, and health agencies who will offer advice and practical help to students.
Staff from First are on board to advise students on safe travel, night bus services and how to get home safely.
Student volunteers from the student safety campaign Knowledge are also taking part in the initiative to encourage students to keep themselves and their valuables safe.
As part of the campaign, police, Street Angels and student volunteers will be on patrol along the A660 corridor, from the Inner Ring Road, past Leeds University campus, through Hyde Park and Headingley, and up towards Leeds Metropolitan University’s Headingley campus.
Officers are also visiting known burglars and street robbers.
Inspector Ian O’Brien, of the Hyde Park and Woodhouse Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Research shows that the vast majority of students are unlikely to be a victim of crime throughout their whole time here. That said, we want to do all we can, in partnership with the universities, to make sure that students enjoy a crime-free stay in the city. Officers will be providing a reassuring presence in the main areas that students will be in.”
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