Wiltshire Police seeking to improve the way they tackle violence against women and girls is to ask them for advice on how to do the job.

Following the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens last year, the force has responded to growing unease about safety by issuing a five-point questionnaire.

The police say it is the biggest consultation with women and girls that it has ever held.

The consultation is essentially five questions:

* What can Wiltshire police do to maximise the safety of women and girls?

* Have you ever been a victim of domestic abuse or sexual violence, stalking, harassment or violence from a stranger?

* Did you report it?

* Why not?

* What could make you feel more comfortable in reporting crime?

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “Last year was a watershed moment for society and policing, revealing how much more needs to be done to radically reduce violence against women and girls.

“Our communities rightly demand to see changes in the way the police service understand and tackle violence against women and girls and, as a force, we are determined to seize this moment to make fundamental and enduring change.

“In order for us to improve our local service to victims in Wiltshire, we want to start a conversation with our communities to better understand their lives and make them feel safer.

“Building on the work we’ve already started, with perpetrator-focused operations like Project Vigilant and setting up the officer verification process, it is crucial that our communities feel comfortable telling us what we can do to improve our service.”

Detective Chief Inspector Gemma Vinton, who is leading the county campaign, said: “We want as many women and girls as possible to complete the short survey, which is anonymous, to ensure we get the widest range of views, to help us understand how we can improve our service to victims.

“We also want to reach out to those who have no trust in policing to understand why this is and what we can do to change this.

“This really is your chance to be heard and I would urge you to take the time to complete the survey and play a significant role in shaping how we police incidents of violence against women and girls.”

The spokesman said: “In addition to improving our service to women and girls, we are also focused on our own culture within Wiltshire Police. We are looking internally as part of this campaign to root out and challenge sexism and misogyny within Wiltshire Police.”

Take part in the survey through the online form here.