Reclaim the Night march held in Watford's Cassiobury Park

Watford MP Matt Turmaine and councillors Asif Khan and Nigel Bell were among those who embarked on a 45-minute walk around Cassiobury Park to make clear women should have the right to "walk without fear".

The 'Reclaim the Night' event on Sunday (November 24) was organised by the Watford Labour Party.

Residents gathered at Watford Metropolitan Line station (Image: Matt Turmaine MP) Lucy Martin, CEO of Watford Women’s Centre Plus, addressed the start of the march, saying: "I know I am not alone in having to share my location when I go out, carrying my keys when I walk after dark, or telling someone exactly what time I am coming home.

"This is the sort of thing that women have to grow up doing and, in this day and age, we shouldn’t have to be doing."

Watford Labour Party’s women’s officer, Sonu Masania, added: "We’re here because we’re urging better lighting across Watford.

"We want people to feel safe and to know they should be able to use public spaces safely even after dark."

Mr Turmaine spoke to attendees on the way round the park and ended the evening with a "warmly received" short speech.

Matt Turmaine MP, left, addresses marchers, alongside campaigner Anne Joynes, Councillor Asif Khan and Minesh Pareek, vice chair of Watford Labour Party (Image: Matt Turmaine MP) He said: "This government has made tackling violence against women and girls a priority.

"Rates of prosecution for certain crimes are woefully low and the court and police systems don’t work particularly well for dealing with these crimes.

"We will reform this by having dedicated specialist roles in courts and police stations across the country to tackle this."

The UK's first ‘Reclaim the Night’ march was held in 1977 in Leeds in response to the Yorkshire Ripper murders.