Irish bar encouraging people who 'feel unsafe' on a night out to 'Ask for Angela'

Amy Molloy

A bar in Limerick city centre is asking customers who feel unsafe on a night out to 'Ask for Angela' as part of a campaign to stop unwanted attention or sexual harassment.

The campaign focuses primarily on bad dates, telling people to 'Ask for Angela' at the bar if they feel uncomfortable.

Pharmacia, on Sarsfield Street in Limerick, is encouraging men or women to use it in any sticky situation.

"If at anytime you are feeling unsafe in Pharmacia and need some help you can alert a member of staff here by asking 'Is Angela working tonight?'," Pharmacia staff wrote on Facebook.

"The situation will be handled discretely and with no fuss... We have yet to deal with this issue but feel its important to have a procedure in place as a safety net.

"It's unfortunate that posts like this are necessary but sexual harassment happens more than we realise and will not be tolerated.

"Please do not think it's anyway funny to use this as a joke with our staff or it will be impossible to tell when to take real action."

The campaign has been rolled out at a number of bars in the UK and has proven to be a success.

A pub owner in Gloucestershire told Gloucestershire Live how a woman in the bar availed of the scheme.

It was reported that a man had offered to let her stay in his hotel room. The woman became uncomfortable and said they should return to a bar – where she asked for Angela.

She was taken to the back of the venue, where a taxi was called for her, and a member of staff waited with her until she got into the taxi and left.

The initiative was originally launched by Lincolnshire County Council and in December 2016 the scheme went nationwide.