Mirrors have been installed in alleyways across Ashford town centre as part of a bid to make its streets safer.

They appeared earlier this month mounted to walls in Taylors Passage next to WHSmith, St John’s Lane – the cut-through between the Vicarage Lane car park and the ex-Mecca Bingo site – and the passage next to By the Tank Cafe in Park Mall.

A share of £550,000 from the Safer Streets fund – which was awarded to Ashford in the autumn by the Home Office to make the town centre safer, particularly for women and girls – has been used to pay for the mirrors.

Ashford Borough Council and Kent Police are behind the new measures which they believe will help improve sightlines, but the move has split opinion among shoppers.

Angie Lock, who was visiting Ashford last week but used to live in the town, feels the mirrors might help people who are walking alone at night.

“It would be better if there was a camera too,” the 49-year-old from Bexleyheath said.

“If anyone is out late at night they would be petrified coming round a corner so I think it’s a good thing because they can see round them now and make an informed decision if they want to carry on or turn back.”

Dominic King, who was visiting Ashford with his wife, says while he doesn’t live in the town, he feels safer visiting knowing safety features such as the mirrors are there.

“It could also help stop some collisions with pushchairs and cyclists,” he added.

“Cameras are good after things have happened but it doesn’t help you see round the corner while you’re there. Perhaps cameras could complement them.”

Others, like Robert Onuorah from Singleton, feel they don’t go far enough.

He said: “I have no clue what the purpose is. If it’s meant to keep you safe, people need to know how.

'It’s not going to solve the problem but it will help...'

“Why couldn’t they just put a camera up? A criminal will not see any deterrent from these mirrors, but they would from cameras.”

Chris Jones, 42, from Park Farm, said: “It’s not going to solve the problem but it will help. The only thing is, people need to know they’re there so perhaps they could be a little bit brighter because I didn’t even know they were there.”

Last month, four alleyways in Ashford, two of which now have mirrors, were taped off by police as part of a sexual assault investigation.

Police later arrested a 42-year-old man after a teenage girl was sexually assaulted.

Part of the Safer Streets fund has gone towards creating a new Ashford Streetwise app which launched on Friday.

It has been designed to show users the places in town with the best safety provisions such as monitored CCTV, good street lighting, high footfall, ‘Safe Spaces’ and high presence of guardians.

A ‘Safe Space’ is a designated premises open to anyone in need of immediate help, whether that’s contacting a carer, friend, family member or the emergency services.

Anyone who needs help can enter any premises displaying the ‘Safe Space’ logo and ask for assistance without fear of embarrassment.

The app also offers safety features such as SOS alerts and information on the closest defibrillator and emergency trauma packs.

DI Simon Johnson of Kent Police said: “The Streetwise app and the Safe Spaces scheme will help keep people secure in the town centre and are the latest in a range of initiatives we are pursuing with our partners to tackle violence against women and girls and make our public spaces safer.

“The Streetwise app will give people living, working and visiting the town the best possible information to keep themselves safe, and the Safe Spaces scheme ensures that anyone who needs help can seek safety in a local business.

“These schemes come on top of other measures we have already been able to bring in, such as active bystander training, new radios for businesses, a SmartTag initiative and improved CCTV.

“We will continue to work with partner agencies to identify and implement any measures which protect our communities and help keep Ashford safe.”

Meanwhile, CCTV cameras have been installed in the stairwell of Edinburgh Road car park and at the Elwick Place leisure complex.

These were added alongside eight public space cameras across various locations in the town centre.

Council bosses say ‘active bystander’ training has also been delivered to more than 180 frontline staff from businesses.

Additional Ashford ‘Partnership Against Crime’ radios have been purchased to increase the number of guardians, and improvements to the Memorial Gardens to remove undergrowth and replace the fences have also been carried out.

SmartTags, personal safety equipment, and pressure washer and litter-picking equipment have also been distributed across the community.

On Friday, Matthew Scott, Kent Police Crime Commissioner, and MP Damian Green visited Ashford to see the work undertaken.