Youngsters with mobile phones are being urged to use a simple app which can alert parents if they're in danger.
For parents, it takes a lot of getting used to when children are at the age to go out or walk home from school alone.
So the Hollie Guard app is proving popular for the reassurance it is providing to families.
The free app can be downloaded onto any Android phone or iPhone.
Essentially it turns the phone into a personal safety device that can be triggered if the user is ever in any danger.
Once activated it allows users to raise the alarm by shaking or tapping their phone if an emergency arises.
They can set it to send a discreet warning signal to their emergency contacts, along with their exact location, audio and video recordings of what is happening.
Alternatively, it can be used as a deterrent where activation triggers a loud piercing siren and strobe lighting to attract attention and help.
The Hollie Guard app was created by the Hollie Gazzard Trust, after 20-year-old hairdresser Hollie was tragically killed by her stalker and former partner Asher Maslin in 2014.
Hollie's dad Nick Gazzard appears in Staffordshire Police's 'Let’s Talk Stalking’ campaign video, which explains how it works.
Nick said: "Hollie Guard has genuinely saved lives. We know this from messages we get from people through social media that have used it.
"It’s fantastic to be working with police forces throughout the UK to reach people who need it the most.
"It’s always been a free app as we want to include absolutely everyone and have no limitations to who it can help. It was designed with stalking and domestic abuse in mind, but many have activated the app in other day-to-day situations such as walking to/from work or school alone, people who work alone or for those who just want extra comfort knowing they have this device to hand."
Once downloaded, users simply register giving their name, email and date of birth. It allows you to add your own emergency contacts who will be alerted when you click on the app and shake your phone to show that you're in trouble.
Those people receive a text message and an email to warn of the emergency and GPS is used to give them your exact location.
Visit the website here to find out more.
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