Women have spoken out about the danger they face when walking alone and shared their own experiences following the disappearance of Sarah Everard.

The case has sparked an online discussion about the different attitudes men and women have towards personal safety after a male police officer was arrested on suspicion of kidnap and murder.

Human remains were tragically discovered last night after Ms Everard, 33, "vanished into thin air" while walking home from a friend's flat in south London last Wednesday.

Wayne Couzens, a serving Met Police officer in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, remains in custody after he was arrested on suspicion of Ms Everard’s kidnap and murder - and a separate allegation of indecent exposure.

A campaign has been set up to educate men on steps they can take to make women feel safer in public spaces

Meanwhile, a University of Kent professor has sparked outrage after saying women "should not pander to stereotypes and get hysterical" on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme this morning.

Marian Fitzgerald, a visiting professor of criminology, also claimed the risk to women is "rare" and that men are far more likely to be murdered than women.

The disappearance of Sarah Everard has generated headlines across the country and, while the full details of the case are not yet known, women have spoken out about the danger they face walking alone.

Some have even revealed their own shocking experiences, which have left them fearful for their own personal safety.

Journalist and writer Mollie Goodfellow posted: “I remember a man following me as I was walking home asking for my number once and I was like ‘oh great now I have to detour so he doesn’t know where I live’.”

Some men took the opportunity of the discussion on social media to ask how they can help to make women feel safer.

London resident Stuart Edwards posted: "I live less than five minutes from where Sarah Everard went missing. Everyone is on high alert.

"Aside from giving as much space as possible on quieter streets and keeping face visible, is there anything else men can reasonably do to reduce the anxiety/spook factor?"

It was welcomed by many women and some advised that men should try to give them space so they do not feel followed or threatened.

But Professor Fitzgerald has angered some with her comments on the Today Programme this morning.

In an interview with presenter Nick Robinson, she said: "The fear is real and it’s always heightened when something major like this is in the news.

"That doesn’t mean to say the risk has changed, it hasn’t changed much over many years.

"Women account for about a third of all murders, men are far more likely to be murdered.

"Men are far more likely to be murdered by someone they don’t know, to be murdered in public places and that hasn’t changed."

The academic also said women "should not pander to stereotypes and get hysterical".

Her comments have been met with outrage, including from author Catherine Mayer, who posted: "Unbelievable and all too believable. @BBCr4today has given a platform to a criminologist called Prof Marian FitzGerald to tell women not to "pander to stereotypes and get hysterical" about #SarahEverard and endemic violence against women. This is extraordinarily irresponsible."

Others accused the professor of "totally missing the point" and that crime statistics "don’t tell the story about everyday harassment that doesn’t even get reported to the police".

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