An organiser of an unattended memorial held in Alsager at the weekend to highlight the issue of murder and violence towards women was "incredibly moved" by the number of messages and tributes.

Across Saturday and Sunday, women as part of permitted outdoor recreation placed ribbons, flowers and pebbles on or near the railings at Milton Park.

The memorial was to remember the women who have been murdered like Samantha Heap and Sarah Everard.

The memorial was 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: "I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the memorial.

"I found myself quite tearful on Sunday when I attended the memorial. It was incredibly moving how many ribbons, pebbles and flowers had been placed on or near the railings.

"One lady commented that she had placed some ribbons in the churchyard for Sarah Everard the previous weekend, but this was great that there was a place where we could stand together symbolically as a community.

"One thing which especially moved me is that some of the ribbons had names of women on them."

Mrs Dale continued: "The outpouring of feeling on the issue of murder and violence towards women has been incredibly stark.

"It's clear that we all know someone, many people who have been affected by this issue. In a recent YouGov poll, 97% of young women reported that they have suffered harassment in the UK.

"So, this problem is huge, and it needs addressing. It's just an incredible shame it takes a tragedy to bring it into the headlines.

"In the future it would be amazing if we could have some type of permanent memorial, as this weekend has shown it clearly is needed."

If anyone is interested in helping to organise a more permanent memorial, you can contact Mrs Dale via [email protected]