Specially trained officers will be undertaking patrols with the specific aim of spotting predatory behaviour towards women and girls in late night venues.  

According to Staffordshire Police, "We are carrying out a month of intensive action following a £24,000 fund from the Home Office, focussing on prevention, education and intelligence gathering.  

"Uniformed and plain-clothed officers will be patrolling at night in areas outside clubs, bars and pubs and around bus stations, taxi ranks, poorly-lit spaces and routes commonly used by individuals travelling home at night, to identify people who may be displaying signs of predatory behaviour." 

The initiative seeks to manage risk before a crime actually occurs. 

Operation Vigilant will launch on 13 March with a total of ten deployments taking place across the county.  

Detective Inspector Laura Kershaw said: "This initiative is purely focused on offenders.  

"We do not want women or girls to have to change their behaviour.  

"The fact that women still feel at risk on a night out is unacceptable, but Op Vigilant is one way that the police can play our part in cutting crime against women and increasing confidence.  

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"Specialist officers will undergo behavioural observation training to recognise signs of predatory behaviour, such as inappropriate touching, stalking, harassment or loitering near potential victims.  

"They will go on to conduct plain-clothes patrols, blending into the crowds to observe and flag concerning behaviour.  

"Uniformed officers will intervene if an issue has been identified.  

"When offences have been identified, arrests will be made, but this is predominantly about recognising predatory behaviour and intervening to disrupt it before offences are committed.  

"Intelligence gathered from the deployments will be reviewed and used to manage any individuals identified.  

"While we will push this robustly over the next month, I can assure local communities that we are continuing to work proactively every single day in Staffordshire to minimise harm and address sexual offending, both in terms of supporting survivors and acting against perpetrators." 

Staffordshire Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Commissioner, Ben Adams said: "I am pleased to see Staffordshire Police continue to proactively tackle violence against women and girls.  

"Everybody has the right to enjoy the night-time economy without fear or intimidation, regardless of their gender. 

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"My office commissions local support services that offer practical and emotional support for victims of violence, even if the incident hasn't been reported to the police.  

"Victims can contact Staffordshire Victims Gateway on 0300 303 3778 or visit www.svg.org.uk" 

For specialised support with sexual assault and abuse contact Staffordshire Survive on 0300 330 5959 or by visiting www.staffordshirewomensaid.org."

Services are available 24 hours a day. 

If you have been sexually assaulted, specially trained officers can offer support and investigate offences.  

Always call 999 in an emergency.