National awards triumph for Leicestershire police

The force has been recognised for "Best Marketing and Branding".

Gitte Magielse, Sarah Harrison, Sgt Steph Burnham, Ella Hardy, Nadia Rana, Joe Mills, Simon Jenner

Leicestershire Police has been awarded the "Best Marketing and Branding" category at the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) awards.

This prestigious recognition highlights the force's innovative and impactful communication strategies, particularly their highly successful Walk Away campaign.

The Walk Away campaign was initiated by Leicestershire Police in response to incidents of violence in the night-time economy. Research indicated that minor disputes, often fuelled by heightened emotions in social settings like pubs and bars, could quickly escalate into serious violence.

The campaign aimed to reduce such incidents by equipping football fans and the public with practical steps to de-escalate heated situations. It included:

• Techniques to diffuse misunderstandings and make quick apologies

• Guidance on how to look out for friends, including removing them from tense environments to calm them down

• Encouraging early intervention by calling 999 or alerting bar staff when necessary

To support the campaign, Leicestershire Police developed a comprehensive toolkit available to forces nationwide. The toolkit includes posters, designs for beer mats, stickers, hand stamps, and queue barrier banners, social media graphics and digital adverts.

In Leicester city centre, a large-scale hand drawn mural was also commissioned in the city’s busy High Street, created by local illustrative artist Nick Shove.

Commander for Leicester City Centre, Inspector Nadia Rana, said: "This is an excellent achievement for Leicestershire Police’s Walk Away campaign. Whilst it was designed and created by the Force, the support shown by our partners and venues in Leicester City Centre is what has allowed the simple message of ‘walking away’ to resonate with so many people enjoying the night-time economy."

This award follows the city centre’s recent re-award of Purple Flag status, reflecting the strong partnership between Leicestershire Police, BID Leicester, and other stakeholders. BID Leicester is a not-for-profit company funded by local businesses. Its work aims to raise the profile of the city and make it a cleaner, greener, safer and more attractive place for all who live, work, visit and study in Leicester.

Simon Jenner, BID Leicester Director, added, "We are thrilled to see Leicestershire Police receive this well-deserved recognition. Their dedication to effective communication has been instrumental in enhancing the safety and vibrancy of Leicester city centre."

For advice on how to stay safe on a night out, visit the We Walk Away website.