Picture power to alert the public
Dean Kirby

COMMUNITY safety chiefs say a new television network could help women and girls stay safe in a town where a sex attacker has stuck 11 times.

They have set up a pioneering broadcasting station in Rochdale that will transmit safety alerts to a dozen screens placed at buildings across town.

The network will be viewed by up to two million people a year and could help spread the word about the fiend, who is still on the loose despite a huge police hunt.

It will also be used to tell people about bogus officials or conmen and, if a child goes missing, it could be used to encourage viewers to join the search.

Lee Durrant, operations manager at Rochdale's community safety department, said: "This project could have a massive effect on community safety as we will be able to get our message to the public without any delay."

Manchester Evening News
13 August 2004