Getty ImagesA government minister has revealed she secretly tested the Ask for Angela safety scheme at locations across the UK until she became too famous to continue the secret testing.
The scheme, launched in 2016 and named after Angela Crompton who was killed by her husband, allows people to discreetly signal that they need help by using a code word at participating locations.
Jess Phillips, minister for protection and violence against women and girls, revealed her secret visits BBC investigation It found that more than half of the participating locations failed to implement the scheme properly.
Ms Phillips says she has received a response in pubs and bars that she describes as completely unsatisfactory.
“I’ve tested the Ask for Angela system many times, not just in London, but across the country and wherever I see it,” Ms Phillips told the BBC.
“And I have to say, I’ve always found the reaction to be wanting.”
Ms. Phillips added that she likes to test security systems like “Ask for Angela,” but has become too popular to continue.
His comments came after BBC undercover researchers posed as a couple on a date, with a female researcher approaching bar staff and asking Angela out.
The investigation found widespread confusion among staff, with many completely unaware of what the code word meant despite Ask for Angela posters being displayed at their locations.
In more than half of the 25 locations across London tested, staff were completely unaware of what the emergency code word meant despite having Ask for Angela posters displayed in their locations.
The BBC received similar reports from across the UK.
Ms Phillips praised the BBC’s investigation, saying she was “really grateful for the good work BBC London has done in highlighting this”.
The minister, who previously worked at Women’s Aid in the West Midlands to develop services for women who are victims of domestic abuse, stressed that safeguarding schemes are “if you don’t implement things properly on the ground. If they are, they are meaningless.”
He said: “None of these schemes are ever fit for purpose if they are not properly trained.
“New laws, things written on fancy scrolls that sit in the basement of the House of Commons… it’s meaningless if you don’t implement things properly on the ground.”
His comments came as the government announced new training measures on spiking.
Ms Phillips stressed the importance of maintaining ongoing training rather than simply displaying posters to “pink wash” venues.
Following a BBC investigation, Cambridgeshire, West Midlands and Hertfordshire police forces announced they had checked the site. The BBC’s findings reflect similar failures in the implementation of the scheme by women’s protection groups in other parts of the UK.
Staff at major chains including Green King and JD Witherspoon were among those who did not recognize the code word.
Green King said he was concerned by the BBC’s findings and promised to review how his teams were told about the scheme, while JD Witherspoon said if necessary So he will provide additional training.
Westminster City Council currently makes participation in the Ask for Angela scheme a key factor when deciding whether to grant alcohol licences.
Millions of pounds of public money have been spent by the police and local councils to promote the initiative.
The protection scheme has since expanded to other countries, including Canada and the Netherlands.
Additional reporting by Barry Caffrey