The UK's first legal advice centre offering free confidential support to people who witness street violence opens this Thursday, 14 October. The centre will offer advice to eye witnesses and victims in cases of street violence, initially working with people in Hackney and Islington, where last year 2,195 robberies and 12,244 violent offences were reported to the police.

The centre is run by Witness Confident, an independent charity working to reduce the numbers of muggings and stranger attacks by encouraging the public to take a stand when they see street violence.  The North London centre, staffed by a barrister, a solicitor and a law graduate, has been approved by the Bar Standards Board.

The charity estimates that as few as 1 in 10 incidents of street violence are ‘cleared up’ by the police.  Police have face particular difficulty in identifying the culprits in cases of street violence where few witnesses will come forward.  This low detection rate then undermines the public’s confidence in the ability of the police to tackle street crime, so fewer incidents are reported.

“Witnesses are the key to breaking this vicious circle,” says barrister Guy Dehn, director of Witness Confident.  “Unless people take a stand and if necessary take the stand, the level of violence on our streets cannot be reduced.  This new advice service will give the public the confidence and support to play their part.”

The centre's legal helpline can advise on cases where the client is unsure whether the police can or will do anything, has questions about the process or about the value of their evidence, is anxious about going to court, suspects or dislikes the police or  is afraid of reprisals.

If you are a victim or witness of street crime in Hackney or Islington, you can contact the legal team on 020 7226 0968 or at help@witnessconfident.org