Women fearful of the Lund Park attacker are booking a female only door-to-door transport service in record numbers.

Some 23 new members alone joined up with Safe Rider, a Bradford Council sponsored venture, during January.

Earlier this week a middle-aged Keighley woman, Ann Marie Ginley, plunged to her death. She was said to be terrified of becoming the next victim of the attacker.

Her boyfriend said she was so terrified she had taken to barricading herself in at night.

Company secretary Pat Schofield said many of the women signing up came from the Lund Park area.

"I think there is a new culture of awareness among women. They are anxious to think more carefully about their personal safety and we are here to help.

"Now we have more women wanting to use the buses we are running over-capacity.

"The Lund Park attacker has brought out the need that women need to think more responsibly."

The attacker, described as in his mid-teens to early 20s, white or light-skinned Asian, has struck three times since December.

Police say the attacks are unusual in that nothing has been stolen and none of them has had a sexual motive. Pat Schofield said: "It was very obvious to us that fear of the Lund Park attacker is responsible for the increased interest in the service.

"A lot of the women came from where the attacks were happening. At the moment we are over-subscribed and cannot always meet the demand.

"Any woman aged 13-plus in the Keighley area is eligible to join. All they have to do is contact Keighley Information Centre on 01535 618014 and sign the back of one of our membership leaflets."

The service costs £1.75 for a return ticket or £1 for Passport to Leisure holders and must be booked in advance by phoning 01535 611800 between 6-8pm, Mondays to Saturdays. It has been running for eight years and is jointly funded by Bradford Council and Keighley Regeneration Partnership.

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