Safety expert Gary designs a free app to help children who are bullied

A city personal safety expert has developed an anti bullying app that he is offering free to children and parents all over the world.

Gary Payne has worked with thousands of young people over the years, teaching them self-defence and life skills.

But he is still shocked that one in five children experience bullying in school, while one in seven adults complain of bullying in the workplace.

Gary believes one major stumbling block in tackling bullying is a breakdown in communication between young people, their parents and their teachers.

He said: “My app empowers people with a voice to share their experiences through a simple-to-use incident reporting system. These reports can be shared with parents, guardians, teachers – in fact, whoever the young person decides should know.”

As well as offering a safe reporting method, the app gives tips on personal safety.

There are even tutorial videos covering confidence, body language techniques, stress relief and awareness skills.

One section deals with personal profiles, and how to protect information both on and off the internet.

Gary now plans to promote his app through a social media campaign using comedy, music, dance and powerful images. He hopes to recruit community ambassadors to help spread the word.

The app was launched this week on Google Play. It can be downloaded on www.staysafeapp.website