More than 130 walks are getting underway in the UK and overseas today in memory of murdered PCSO Julia James, with Kent walkers holding a minute's silence before they set off.

People from far and wide who have been moved by the mum-of-two's tragic death are walking to let her family, friends and community know "we care, beyond the borders of Kent".

At least 137 "peaceful" walks are now getting underway across the country, including in Kent locations such as Aylesham, Canterbury, Ashford, Hythe, Dover, Whitstable, and Deal.

In Aylesham, the nearest village to Snowdown where Julia lived, police officers and PCSO colleagues bowed their heads for a silence. Julia was well known in Aylesham and several of her family members live there.

The idea has also been taken up by people overseas in USA, Canada, Spain, Lanzarote, Italy, Austria, New Zealand and Oman.

Julia, 53, was found dead with serious head injuries by Ackholt Wood in Snowdown, near Canterbury, shortly after 4pm on April 27.

She had been out walking her beloved Jack Russell, Toby, at the time.

Organiser Sally-Anne Bedford discusses the idea behind the walks

Callum Wheeler, 21, from nearby Aylesham, has since been charged with her murder and is due to go on trial on November 29.

Touched by the tragic news, Sally-Anne Bedford, a dog owner from Cheshire who frequently walks alone with her dog in wooded areas, came up with the idea of carrying out a walk in Julia's memory.

Mrs Bedford says she, like many others, felt Mrs James' death did not appear to incite the same level of national outrage as was caused by that of 33-year-old Sarah Everard, who was killed after walking home through south London on March 4.

She said: "Not many people seemed to be talking about Julia, in the days after the event.

"And that shocked me because we'd just come out of all of the quite rightful outrage at the death of Sarah Everard.

"The only thing I could think of possibly was that it was to do with her age – that as an older woman, we weren't as interested in her, which was quite shocking to me.

"All women are as important as each other, and all should be able to stay safe."

Mrs Bedford says news of Julia's death has made her feel more wary and aware of her surroundings while out walking.

"I think a lot of people probably are," she said. "She's in my head every time I go for a walk at the moment."

Her idea for a dog walk in Julia's memory began with messages to a few friends in Cheshire and soon snowballed.

Now, 127 walks are set to take place at 10am today, while a Facebook page set up for the events has amassed more than 1,400 members.

"It's really really simple," said Mrs Bedford. "All people have to do is walk - whether you're on your own, with a partner, in a small friend group, or quite a big group."

Walkers are invited to hold a minute's silence for Julia, at 10am on Monday, before setting off. They are also invited to wear a blue ribbon or item of blue clothing, in honour of Julia and her work in the police.

"The most important thing is to walk at 10am and to think of Julia, and just to let her friends and family and her local community know that we care, beyond the borders of Kent," said Mrs Bedford.

"The idea is to spread it as far as we can.

"The only thing we have said is to keep it very peaceful, keep it about Julia, and not to waste police time by breaking rules on Covid and things like that.

"We all just really care. We can relate to what [Julia] was doing because we do that all the time.

"I think people appreciated her work as a PCSO as well. Most of us don't know Julia, but some of her friends and family have told us a bit about her.

"Reading about the work she did with women that were victims of domestic abuse – that's something that made us think she deserves the attention this gives her. She just seems like she was a real spark."

For more information, or to find a walk near you, visit the Facebook page.

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