Shopping centre is latest to offer refuge to victims of pickup artists
A MAJOR retail boss has said anyone concerned for their safety in Glasgow city centre can seek refuge in a top mall.
Anne Ledgerwood, general manager of St Enoch Centre, said staff are trained to support anyone feeling at risk.
And she urged people in the city centre to approach members of staff for help if needed.
Ms Ledgerwood said: “Our staff are trained to help anyone feeling vulnerable or at risk whilst in the city centre and we also work alongside external partners like Police Scotland to support initiatives like Student Safety in the city.
“We would encourage anyone feeling vulnerable or at risk when in the city to approach a member of our staff in centre.”
Ms Ledgerwood, who is also chairwoman of the City Centre Retail Association, made the pledge following concerning reports of men stalking and harassing women in the centre of Glasgow.
Last week, Jamie Alexander O’Neill offered his Hotspot shop on Sauchiehall Street as a place for anyone who feels intimidated or scared to go following an incident involving a YouTube ‘pickup’ channel, which saw a man appear in court yesterday.
Pickup artists (PUAs) use misogynistic tactics to try to pick up women. Feminist groups have expressed alarm about the practice and a protest was held at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall at the weekend.
Evening Times trainee Selena Drake took to the streets of the city centre to ask young women what they would do if they were targeted. And one teenager, Lucy Crawford, told how her sister had been followed by a PUA on five separate occasions.
She had to make an escape and find a phone to use to call for help.
Other women we spoke to said they were worried a shop might not take them seriously if they asked for assistance.
But others said that knowing there was somewhere safe to get help was a good idea.