THE owner of Okehampton’s London Inn, is planning on making the pub a ’safe space’ for people in trouble.

The pub will provide facilities for anyone feeling unsafe including phone charging points and a sheltered place to wait for rides home.

Owner Simon Chudley said: ’Obviously if people are in immediate danger, they’re going to jump into the first place they see. But I’m thinking about before that happens.

’If a kid feels threatened on the way home they can jump in. If a woman’s on her own and her phone battery’s dead, before she attempts to walk home without any phone, she can nip in and charge her phone and make the phone calls she needs to.’

The idea was brought about when Mr Chudley was introduced to the Safe Places National Network through which businesses can become a safe space where people with learning disabilities can go if they feel lost or afraid.

But Mr Chudley has decided to go one step further and provide support for anyone who feels in danger.

He believes the London Inn is the first place in Okehampton to advertise such a scheme and thinks the pub may be one of the best places to host such a space because of the late closing times.

Mr Chudley said: ’Someone’s thinking of leaving an abusive husband but where do they go at ten o’clock at night? If they’ve got no support network where can they go knowing that someone is going to be up and about at that time?

’We’re open from nine in the morning right through to 12 or one o’clock at night and when you have to wait until the morning or between nine and five, this gives you somewhere else to go. It could make a difference.’

Following the murder of Sarah Everard and the Plymouth shooting in August, Mr Chudley is particularly keen to encourage women and children to use the pub as a safe space but is aware that a pub may not be the first place they turn to for help.

He said: ’I think if we can get something up to say that they’re welcome. They don’t have to come in to buy a drink or feel scared to ask for somebody. They can just walk up to the bar and ask to use the phone or the toilet or whatever.’

Mr Chudley has already been in contact with the Okehampton Street Pastors branch, a charity which works towards making streets safer at night, to offer the pub as a drop-off point for anyone the charity finds who is in need of help.

He has also received support for his idea from some of Okehampton’s councillors and plans to speak to the police about his proposal.

’I’ve also posted the idea on our business group and I’ll bring it up at the next meeting,’ added Mr Chudley.

Although he hopes that the sevice will never be needed, he would like the move to have a positive effect on the town and is also eager to encourage other businesses to do the same.

He hopes that visitors to the town see the sign in the pub window, ask what it means and then bring the idea back to their home town.

’It will definitely be going forward,’ said Mr Chudley.

In fact he has already bought a multi-phone charging point and will now start putting together a sign advertising the safe space.