Child-Safe

Chelmsford working to keep children safe

Chelmsford has become the first town in Essex to implement a pioneering safety scheme which offers a hotline number to assist parents and guardians in finding children who have been separated from them whilst out shopping.

The Child Safe Zones Programme, a town-wide initiative supported by High Chelmer Shopping Centre and Meadows Shopping Centre, was launched on 23 August 2008 and is now available to shoppers and their children . By calling the dedicated Child Safe number (08700 62 27 30) parents and guardians will be put into contact with a security team, who will use a coordinated approach and CCTV to re-unite them with the children.

This simple but effective scheme is designed to help anyone visiting Chelmsford Town Centre. This scheme has been successfully introduced in over 90 shopping centres across the country since it was launched in 2003, but has never operated before in Chelmsford. The scheme gives shoppers peace of mind and reassures them that if their child gets lost this service can assist in finding them quickly.

The initiative provides children with free wristbands with their parents or guardians contact numbers on so that, in the event of a child being lost, the parent or guardian can be contacted quickly. Bright, eye-catching window stickers will also be displayed around the two shopping centres and town centre publicising the helpline number: 08700 62 27 30. The wristbands will be available free of charge from High Chelmer Shopping Centre and Meadows Shopping Centre.

Chelmsford Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, Councillor Ian Grundy, said: "Although Chelmsford is a very safe place to shop, as a parent we can all remember either losing a child or worrying about the prospect of losing a child at some point. Thankfully most lost children are reunited very quickly, but this scheme reassures parents and can help them contact security faster during those first few seconds."