How can I keep safe when going out at night?

Common sense ....... Inform someone of your movements - have an expected arrival time. Use public transport or even taxis. Walk home/around with a friend. Avoid unlit areas. Walk positively - weakness attracts problems. Don't display anything valuable - phone etc. Carry a dummy wallet with a fiver or so in it that you can quickly pass to an attacker/mugger. Don't walk with your hands in your pockets. Run first ...... only fight if you have to. Don't carry a weapon. Try to avoid wearing a hood (or anything that will restict your spacial awareness - that includes headphones).

Always make sure someone knows where you are, stay with others and never use unlicensed minicabs. Try and avoid badly lit places and never get involved in arguments with strangers. All in all its probably best to stay away!

a little can of tear-gas in my pocket makes me feel just fine! with that, you can't really hurt anyone, but it gives you time to run away ... I never got to use mine, but takes off a lot of stress when i go out ... I live in the centre, and I'm not really worried about walking the streets at night, but I had a couple of bad experiences and one of them was when I found a guy inside the building where I live ... I don't know how did he get in, but he did, and I freaked out ... that's when I started carrying tear-gas ... I don't want to relay on good will of neighbours to help when I scream!

wear a crucifix and carry some garlic.

It really is a bad sign of the times when people have to ask a question like this , don't you think ? Perhaps the best advice would be always try to never be alone.

Having a strong Geordie accent on the streets of London helps all the hoody scrotes will think your hard, its helped me out of a few scrapes, cos lets face it most of these hoodies are cowards who can only fight in gangs , self defence is necessary to learn in todays society, learn Kung Fu or Tai Kwondo

As someone who has lived in inner city London all my life i feel this story is a little over the top, I can honestly say I have never felt scared or threatened whilst out in town, but can understand that it may be a little intimidating sometimes for lone females and youngsters. I guess the best thing to do is keep your wits about you, avoid confrontations and try to travel with friends or make them aware of your whereabouts. It a shame you feel frightened but don't let this stop you venturing out of an evening, remember for the vast majority of people in this country nothing bad will ever happen to them.

Don't let media hype scare you!! If everyone stayed at home scared behind locked doors then of course only yobs and louts will roam the streets. Reclaim the steets people! There is no sense of community anymore, everyone keeps themselves to themselves and thats why people dont even feel safe in their own neighbourhoods. If we knew our neighbours and people who lived in our area, then these "yobs" we see on the streets would suddenly have names and families and would be much less threatening. Of course 20 kids in hoodies hanging on a street corner is scary....but where are their parents???

Don't go out!!!!! No, don't gooooo ouuuuuuut!