THE Home Office has been asked by a Warrington MP what steps it is taking to protect commuters from sexual violence.

In a written question for the Home Office, Charlotte Nichols has asked what protection can be given to workers travelling home during hours of darkness.

The Warrington North Labour MP asked the Secretary of State what steps the department is taking to help protect workers travelling home late at night who are at risk of sexual violence.

The question was answered by Jess Phillips, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Home Office.

She said: “This Government will treat tackling violence against women and girls as a national emergency, and will use every tool to target perpetrators and address the root causes of violence on our streets.

“We want women to feel safe, and will use every lever to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade, across the whole of government, with policing and other experts.

“To make our streets safe, we must drastically reduce serious violent crime and violence against women and girls, increase confidence in the police, stop young people falling into crime and make our criminal justice system work for victims.

“No one should ever have to face the risk of violence or harassment when travelling. This Government is taking action to make sure our transport network is safe for all.

“The Department for Transport is working closely with transport partners, including the British Transport Police, on a range of initiatives to address the problems faced by different users, including women and girls, on the transport network.”