A NEW community project has been launched in Weymouth to help keep women and girls safe.

The Pineapple Project uses the principles of community guardianship to give young women who feel they are at risk a safe haven in certain premises.

Staff from the businesses in Weymouth which are taking part will be able to recognise signs that could mean a young woman is at risk of harm and know how to offer help.

The project is a collaboration between Dorset Council, Dorset Police, Weymouth College and Targeted Sexual Health Service.

The aim of the project is to make all young women feel safe in their communities and feeling they should be able to seek the right support whenever needed.

The team will be promoting the project to women in Weymouth and also educating young people in schools on their right to safety.

It has not been disclosed which businesses are taking part at this stage.

Hazel Ridge from Bassetts Londis on Westham Road said: "I think this is a really good idea because so many girls hang around town and we are in a perfect position to help with our location on the seafront."

She added: "Any girl should feel comfortable going anywhere. It's good for someone vulnerable to have somewhere to go if something is happening, not because it happens."

Estimates from the Government in 2020 show that around one in five women aged 15 to 74 are victims of sexual assault or attempted assault in their lifetime.

Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council portfolio holder for children, education and early help, said: "We need to find ways of making sure that young women and girls have as much support as they can so they feel safe going out in the area they live in.

"They should not have to limit the times that they go out or the places they go because of how they are treated by other people.

"It's about calling out bad behaviour and giving the girls a safe haven if things don't quite go to plan."

The project is a pilot in Weymouth and the team is hoping to expand a similar model to Portland in the future.