Community-minded volunteers hand out bells and whistles to combat crime in Daventry

Irene Gardner (second from the right) and the other volunteers out in Daventry handing out their anti-theft items.

For the past two weeks, Irene Gardner appealed on social media for the public to help in buying whistles, bells, and keyring holders, and then today (Friday) along with a group of volunteers handed them out to elderly and vulnerable people in Daventry town centre.

The bells can be attached to handbag fastenings or purses and wallets to alert the owner if a thieve tries to open or take them, the keyring holders can prevent keys being pinched, while the whistle can help people raise the alarm and potentially catch the perpetrators.

The idea mirrors one police have used in Daventry and other places around the UK to encourage people to attach bells to their bags and purses to alert them to potential thefts, and Irene and the volunteers sought permission from the police for their initiative.

Irene's son Philip told the newspaper: "To say I'm very proud of her for bringing the community together is an understatement."