Just under half of women feel unsafe while walking alone in busy public places at night — compared to only one in five men, research shows.

The same proportion of women — 49 per cent — and about one in six men do not feel safe alone after dark on a quiet street near their home, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Nick Stripe, head of ONS crime statistics, said: ‘Men and women both feel less safe after dark, but the extent to which women feel unsafe is significantly greater.

‘Disabled people, too, are more likely to feel unsafe, even in the daytime in busy public places.’

The survey was carried out three months after Sarah Everard was raped and murdered by Wayne Couzens, a serving police officer.

Couzens, who faces a life sentence, kidnapped the 33-year-old as she walked home from Clapham Common in south London on March 3.

Women aged 16 to 34 and over 75 are most likely to feel unsafe at night.

The 16 to 34-year-olds are also most likely to change their behaviour as a result — such as by avoiding going out alone, or by steering clear of isolated spots that might be dangerous.

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