Pubs and bars in West Cumbria have signed up to an innovative initiative to keep people safe on dates.

The Ask for Angela scheme means customers who feel vulnerable can be helped discreetly by staff to remove them from the situation.

The campaign encourages people who feel unsafe to ask for Angela at the bar, a code word that alerts staff to assist the customer in getting them to safety.

The individual would then be taken to a secure place where they can call for help or can be directed to an alternative exit.

West Cumbria’s Pubwatch scheme and South Cumbria’s Barwatch have signed up to the national campaign and promotional posters have been distributed to venues.

Staff at participating venues will be trained to respond to the phrase.

West Cumbria Pubwatch co-ordinator Lisa Elder said: “Whilst the campaign focuses on those who are on dates, it also applies to any situation where a person feels uncomfortable or threatened by a person they may have met.”

Wendy Ingham, South Cumbria Barwatch co-ordinator, added: “I am pleased that the members of Barwatch are fully behind the initiative.”

The initiative originated in a Lincolnshire pub in 2016 and has become popular all over Britain since.

Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall said: “For someone who unwittingly finds themselves in a situation where they are feeling vulnerable and scared, to have what is essentially a lifeline is invaluable.”