New bilingual travelling information launched by Kent Police

UK families visiting France in the school holidays are among the thousands of people set to benefit from a revolutionary tool designed to reduce accidents and make it easier to report crime.

A bilingual European section on the Kent Police website (www.kent.police.uk/Advice/Travelling%20abroad/Travelling%20abroad.html) gives details about French road rules, unusual signs and enforcement. Significantly, it also provides a one stop shop for victims of crime that reduces the need for interpreters and speeds up investigations.

The site, which also has a translated version for French visitors to the UK, is the culmination of four years work by Kent Police Crime Researcher Police Constable Philip Harvey-Hendley, who wanted to make it easier for UK day trippers to Calais to report crimes against them.

His research revealed the language barrier, time restraints, confusion, personal or cultural difficulties prevented them from reporting crimes until they returned home. This meant valuable time was lost in obtaining evidence.

Kent Police Chief Constable Michael Fuller said: 'The need for safety and crime prevention information for people travelling on both sides of the Channel is something I have recognised for some time.

'The result is our new web initiative which comes out of the close working relationship we have with our colleagues in northern France on issues including cross-border crime, immigration and safety on our roads.

'The new web pages offer travellers crucial information on keeping themselves and their belongings safe and staying within the law in England and France.

'We will continue our joint work later in the summer with an initiative to cut road deaths caused by speeding. It is a matter of concern on both sides of the Channel but particularly in France following recent road collisions involving UK drivers hurrying to the Channel ports.'

For the first time people can print fact sheets before their journey to ensure that they're familiar with traffic laws, signs, what equipment to keep in their vehicle, what to do at the scene of an accident and speeding restrictions to reduce the possibility of committing an offence or being involved in an accident.

In addition, the site will help UK victims of crime in France.

PC Harvey-Hendley said: 'Reporting a crime in France is very different to reporting a crime in England.

'Victims can now go online, download a bilingual crime report and take it with them as one of their essential travelling documents.

'The emphasis is on victim care. It takes the stress out of reporting a crime abroad and reduces the incidence of reporting a crime back in the UK.'

The benefits to people and Kent Police are:

• Faster and more effective crime investigation
• Increased victim satisfaction
• Kent Police caring for the welfare of its community despite crimes occurring outside its borders
• Good Anglo French relations
• Reduce the cost of using translators
• Improved information sharing on crime

The European section of the Kent Police website (www.kent.police.uk/Advice/Travelling%20abroad/Travelling%20abroad.html) is a joint initiative between Kent Police, the Gendarmerie Nationale, Police Nationale and the Courts in Boulogne. The initiative has also received the support of French Governmental Authorities through its endorsement by the Prefet of the Pas de Calais.

It will eventually include a rolling screen giving up to date information such as road closures, Operation Stack and anything that may delay visitors to France or the UK.

While the site relates only to France at present, other European countries will be included.