An app enabling women to keep each other safe is launching in Islington.

SafeUP aims to prevent sexual assault by crowdsourcing women's security across London's Neighbourhoods.

Members of SafeUP can use the app when they feel unsafe or if they encounter real or potential danger.

The app then connects them with nearby trained women guardians so they can access support, guidance or physical assistance.

A SafeUP guardian is a woman over the age of 18 who has undergone the SafeUP training process.

SafeUP guardian Lee, who did share their surname, said: “One evening I heard my cell phone vibrate. It was midnight, I wondered who it could be?

"I realised it was a call coming from the app."

Lee said she "immediately accepted" and saw a young woman, a SafeUP community member, walking in the dark close to her house.

Lee added: "She said someone was following her and she was really scared.

"She asked me If I could come and accompany her."

It took Lee three minutes to get to the woman and she says, once she got there the man turned his back and left.

"I calmed her down and walked her home," she added.

SafeUP community members will be able to open their apps and see countless numbers of guardians in Islington available to assist where necessary via telephone, video, or by physical accompaniment.

Islington Gazette: A snapshot of the number of guardians in LondonA snapshot of the number of guardians in London (Image: SafeUP)

The app will connect the community member to two or three of the nearest available women guardians who will help the community member in need.

Its launch follows a series of high-profile killings in London including the murder of Sarah Everard who went missing in Clapham in March 2021.

According to SafeUP, there was a spike in demand and downloads of the app in Clapham and across London.

The free app was originally launched in Israel in October 2020 and was launched in the United States in late 2021, now has 100,000 users worldwide.

Neta Schrieber, CEO and co-founder of SafeUp, said: "We aim to prevent the next sexual assault with the SafeUP network taking back the city."

SafeUP is available on the App Store and Google Play. For more information, visit www.safeup.co