An unattended memorial has been organised in Congleton this weekend by a group of women who are opposed to the "mistreatment of women by society and the state".

From 10am on Saturday to 4pm on Sunday, women who can safely and briefly visit as part of permitted outdoor recreation with their household are invited to place a ribbon/flowers/poetry or pebble on the Sensory Garden Railings, at the top of Moody Street, Congleton, and leave without congregating.

The memorials are to remember the women who have been murdered or abused like Samantha Heap, who was recently murdered in Congleton and Sarah Everard.

The memorials are also for women who have been abused and face abuse.

Alsager Town Councillor, Jo Dale one of the organisers of the memorials told Nub News: "It is something we as a community can do to stand together.

"The pandemic has shone a light on the fact that women are not safe at home, and – as the shocking murder of Sarah Everard has shown us – they are not safe in public either.

"For the memorial to happen on the railings on the outside of Milton Park, in Alsager, and the Sensory Garden, in Congleton, is symbolic as they are places where many women are afraid to go alone at night. It's not right that women don't feel safe and are frightened to go out alone at night.

"With state failures such as the low number of convictions for domestic abuse and rape and women feeling unsafe in their own homes and communities - more needs to be done to support women both through the justice system and with increased funding for support services such as women's refuges."

Mrs Dale continued: "Male violence against women is driven by sexism and women's inequality in society.

"We plan to do more events to support women and highlight this issue.

"Increasing street lighting as the government has suggested does nothing to tackle the deep-seated attitudes that drive these forms of violence and abuse.

"Those attitudes are what needs to change and fast."