On one evening in Middlesbrough, the BBC spoke to young women about how they stay safe after a survey by the area's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) revealed that most on Teesside feel unsafe in public places after dark.

Zoe describes using her phone or texting a friend so that people know she has "someone who cares" about where she is.

The safety survey was commissioned by Cleveland PCC Matt Storey as part of work aimed at tackling violence against women and girls.

Almost 2,800 women and girls living in the Cleveland Police force area responded and 87% of them said they felt unsafe in town centres at night.

Beth shares her location on her phone with her partner, so he always knows where she is and would rather pick her up from a night out than for her to make her own way home.

When the 32-year-old was a student at Teesside University, she would stay close to the Boro Angels - a volunteer-led organisation supporting people on a night.

She says as a woman you feel "quite vulnerable" on an evening on your own and she would avoid being out by herself after dark.

"If you do see a gang of men - you feel uncomfortable and I'd avoid them at all costs.

"I'd try and contact someone on my phone so if they approach me, I'm already on the phone to someone."

When I ask if she would go to Albert Park in central Middlesbrough at night on her own, the most named place by women in the survey for being unsafe, she says "absolutely not".

Her friend Zoe, 27, agrees.

She says she would not feel safe coming to the town centre on her own at night.

"There's a lot of crime. You don't know who's about at that time.

"And the darker nights make it more concerning. I've had men shout or whistle out of a car window at me and it makes me feel uncomfortable.

"I usually pretend to be texting or on the phone. That gives me an extra layer of protection, thinking someone knows where I am."

Storey said that making women in Cleveland feel safer was his "top priority".

"It shouldn't be the case that women have to do things to make themselves feel safer," he said.

Respondents to the survey said antisocial behaviour, visible drug and alcohol use, intimidation and harassment were among the main reasons for feeling unsafe.

The Cleveland force area has the highest crime rate in the country, and the highest rate of sexual violence, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Women identified Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool and Redcar town centres as places where they felt most at risk.

More than half of those surveyed said they had experienced sexualised comments, while others reported inappropriate gestures, being followed or unwanted physical contact.

Transport hubs, cashpoints, shopping centre entrances and fast-food outlets were highlighted as locations causing particular concern.

The survey also found many women routinely change their behaviour to stay safe, including avoiding certain places after dark, changing travel routes and sharing their location with friends and family.

Shannon, 18, is a student at Teesside University and is on a night out with some student friends.

"When I walk to my car after lectures I always video-call a friend, so they can see me and I can see them," she said.

Sophie, also 18, is walking to a pub quiz at the students' union building.

"It depends who I'm with, how safe I feel.

"You never know what's going to happen. I have my mam and dad on my phone as SOS contacts and this makes me feel safer, knowing I can press a button and it rings them for any emergencies.

"And I've always got my keys in my hand when I'm walking around."

Albert Park in Middlesbrough was the green space most frequently raised as an area of concern, although women also highlighted other parks, riverside routes, woodlands and coastal paths across the area.

When asked if Teesside was a "dangerous place to be a woman" Storey said, judging by the results of the survey, women "don't feel safe in Cleveland in lots of settings".

He said this was something he wanted to change.

"The findings of this survey clearly show the vast majority of women don't feel safe in parts of Cleveland.

"To hear the experiences of women in this way is really worrying.

"That's why we are trying to do the work we're doing to tackle this and turn it around," he said.

He said improving safety would require "a coordinated response" involving police, councils and other organisations.

The survey found women wanted more visible policing, better street lighting and CCTV, stronger consequences for offenders and improved support for victims who report incidents.

For the women we spoke to "more street lights" and "education for men" around respect for women were suggestions that came up again and again.

Zoe said that "safety precautions for women" such as support from local charities and education for "people who think it's ok to disrespect women" were things she would like to see more of.

But the women we spoke to said they take their safety into their own hands, in any way they can while in town centres at night.

They said they avoided being alone where possible, and demonstrated to any perceived "threat" that someone, somewhere, was looking out for their safety too.

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