A rally to highlight women's safety has marched through Kettering as part of the reclaim the streets movement and as a response to the killing of two women in the town.
Dozens of residents gathered to show solidarity with others concerned about violence against women including the murder of Maddie Durdant-Hollamby, who was stabbed to death by her boyfriend Ben Green in August, and the death of Marta Chmielecka, who died after being stabbed in the neck in October.
March co-organiser, Liane Robinson, said: “Misogyny, rape culture, sexual harassment, murder - we can't stand by silent as these become normalised. Violence against women and girls takes many different forms. We aren't so naïve to think we can solve any of them with this march, however there is strength and hope in people uniting.
"Violence against women and girls is not part of life, not acceptable , not OK. There are no ifs, buts or maybes."
The march assembled at the Rockingham Road Pleasure Park and made its way through Kettering town centre to Horsemarket.
Marta Chmielecka's neighbours Samantha Uggur, Louise McMeekin and Sam McGurk attended the march in her memory.
Ms Uggur said: "She was a beautiful young woman who didn't deserve to die. It's becoming the norm for women to be attacked or raped. When I leave my house at night I'm more scared than ever."
Cllr Emily Fedorowycz, who helped organise the event, said: “Thank you to every single one of you who has come out today to stand up to violence against women. Today we march for the loss of two Kettering women, taken before their time. Because we will not let them become a statistic or a forgotten headline. We are here to ensure this doesn’t happen again."
Northamptonshire Police has teamed up with StreetSafe providing an online reporting system where 'unsafe' areas can be reported including the lack of street lighting or abandoned buildings, as well as behaviours such as being followed or verbally abused.
To report feeling unsafe in Northamptonshire via the platform click here: https://www.northants.police.uk/notices/street-safe/street-safe/
