Dozens of people have joined a march in Ashford to raise awareness of women's safety.

It comes a year after the horrific kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard by Wayne Couzens from Deal who was, at the time, a serving Metropolitan Police officer.

The Reclaim These Streets event started in Victoria Park and headed to the bandstand in the town centre.

Speaking ahead of the event, organiser Cllr Lyn Suddards said: “We have had a number of Safer Streets initiatives and this event is about women themselves making a statement about our right to feel safe when they go out.

“Everyone is welcome and it is also an opportunity for men, who are also concerned for us, to show their support too.

“We hope it will be fun filled family event finishing with words of wisdom from Bishop Rose, the first black female bishop well known for campaigning against injustice.”

33-year-old Sarah was abducted by Couzens while walking home in London on March 3, 2021.

Her body was found in woodland near Ashford a week later.

Couzens is now serving a whole life term for her kidnap, rape and murder after being sentenced at the Old Bailey in London last September.

Sarah's death led to a national debate on women's safety, and 12 months on many women say they don't feel anything has changed.

On the anniversary of the day she went missing, Sarah's parents said: "It is a year since Sarah died and we remember her today, as every day, with all our love.

"Our lives have changed forever and we live with the sadness of our loss. Sarah was wonderful and we miss her all the time.

"Over the past year we have been overwhelmed with the kindness shown to us, not just by family and friends, but by the wider public. We are immensely grateful to everyone for their support, it has meant such a lot to us and has comforted us through this terrible time.

"Sadly, Sarah is not the only woman to have lost her life recently in violent circumstances and we would like to extend our deepest sympathy to other families who are also grieving."

Politicians have promised to make the safety of women their priority.

However, last week MPs voted against making misogyny a hate crime despite a YouGov poll revealing that seven in 10 Britons (72%) support longer sentences for crimes motivated by hostility or prejudice based on sex and gender.

Further funding has been approved though and is being targeted at supporting police forces in supporting women.

Kent Police received more than £700,000 to spend on personal safety equipment, drink testing kits and personal alarms, as well as providing safe havens and installing more CCTV and improved street lighting in Ashford, Chatham and Rochester.