Exclusive:University, council and police in Leeds respond after calls for action following sexual assaults in Woodhouse Moor

A 20-year-old man has been arrested after three women were sexually assaulted in Woodhouse Moor in the early hours of last Thursday (October 2).

Those in the student-heavy area around the park, which covers the districts of Hyde Park, Woodhouse and Headingley, expressed their shock at the “awful” news and have called for more measures from the authorities.

Students also called on the University of Leeds to offer more safety guidance, especially with the recent cohort of freshers having moved to the city.

West Yorkshire Police has said it has increased its presence in the area, while Leeds City Council has said that they are working with partners to “ensure Leeds is a safe place for everybody”.

Kieran Madden, 30, opened the Hyde Café on the corner of Headingly Lane last month after living in the area for nine years.

He said that there had been numerous incidents in the park in that time and that he couldn’t understand why lighting had not been installed along the pathways.

“We are not exactly making the park safer and more visible”, he said. “You get people shining torches on their phones to get through that makes them more of a target.

“It’s not like we have any CCTV that surrounds the park.”

He called for a greater police presence in the area, and said that it was especially important for residents and businesses to feel secure on Saturdays when the Otley Run is at its peak.

“It’s very rare that you see a police officer”, he said. “There needs to be a more visible presence.

“The Otley Run is getting bigger and bigger but it’s businesses and residents who are having to deal with the after effects.”

Mr Madden also called for a local business group, similar to Leeds BID, for the Headingley and Hyde Park area that could help monitor issues and fund security measures.

He said: “You have loads of large companies in the area that, especially after the attacks, would be on board to provide better services for the community.

“We want to welcome people to the area and for everybody to feel safe but it feels like we are left behind.”

Charlene Openshaw, who manages iBlaze Vape Shop, added that there’s been an increase of crime recently with break-ins at numerous shops.

She also called for a greater police presence, saying: “I’m lucky if you see one copper a day.

“It’s been said for years that there should be lighting in the park.”

Students in the area also offered their thoughts, with a group of third-year female students in the Hyde Café saying that the dangers of living in Leeds were “not acknowledged at all” by the university.

Another couple walking through the park added that during their year abroad in Canada they were given “a really long risk assessment” upon arrival but that the same couldn’t be said about the University of Leeds.

One of the students said: “The university could do more to talk about how it’s a dangerous area.”

The students also urged new arrivals in the city not to walk through the park during the night time, with one saying that she will get a taxi home even for short journeys.

She said: “Even if it’s a 15 minute walk I would be very anxious about it.

“I feel like having some police around would help because you don’t see any.”

One of the female students added: “I like going for runs but I would never go alone.”

A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “We understand, and share, the considerable concern these incidents will have raised among the local community and we strongly condemn these attacks.

“Any form of criminality has no place in our city, including our parks, and we will work closely with the police as they continue their investigations.

“We have supported partners, including the University of Leeds and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, in their work over recent years to gather people’s views on safety in parks and this forms part of our wider community safety commitment to end violence against women and girls.

“We will continue to work with the police and other partners, including organisations such as Women Friendly Leeds, Universities and colleges, as well as night-time venues, to ensure Leeds is a safe place for everybody.

“To help people feel safer, we work with WalkSafe to provide a free app to help people plan safer journeys. It allows you to share your location with trusted contacts and is updated in real time. It also identifies safer venues and spaces, including where premises have adopted the Ask for Angela scheme, and when the Women’s Night Safe Space bus is out.

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“We would appeal for anyone with any information on these incidents to contact the police and we always encourage people to report any concerns."

Amara Relf Union Affairs and Communications officer at Leeds University Union said: “At Leeds University Union, student safety is our priority, and we recognise the valid concerns students have. During Welcome Week we signpost students to essential information on how to stay safe on campus and across Leeds.

“Throughout the year we work with the City, the University and other Student Unions to create systemic change that prioritises student safety and wellbeing.

“We offer a range of initiatives, including our Night Bus service, which takes students directly to their door, and we encourage everyone to download the SafeZone and WalkSafe apps for added support.

“Our advice to students is to stay in groups, report anything suspicious, and look out for one another. However, it’s important to emphasise that the responsibility for safety should not rest solely on individuals, we must create an environment where students feel safe and supported and not blamed.”

Detective Inspector Jenny Phillips, of Leeds Adult Safeguarding Unit, said: “We understand the concern that these offences have caused, and I would like to reassure members of the public that we have been making extensive enquiries over the past week.

“We have also been supported by our neighbourhood policing colleagues who continue to provide a visible presence in the Hyde Park area.

“A man has now been arrested; however, we would continue to urge anyone who has any information that could assist our ongoing investigation to please make contact."

Anyone with information about the attacks is asked to contact Leeds Adult Safeguarding Unit through the LiveChat function or by calling 101, quoting crime reference 13250564560.

Alternatively, information can be passed to independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.