A GROUP fighting back against street harassment is celebrating its first with the backing of one of the city's MPs.

Hollaback! Oxford launched in summer 2016 to support victims of harassment by enabling them to map out online incidents such as groping or cat-calling.

Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds joined supporters of the group at an anniversary exhibition staged at the Fusion Arts centre off Cowley Road in East Oxford earlier this month.

Hollaback! Oxford site leader, Miranda Dobson, said: "We are delighted to stage this event celebrating a year of our organisation in Oxford.

"This event has been about reclaiming public spaces that are not equally accessible to all people because of harassment that occurs every day on our streets.

"I am grateful to everyone who came together to celebrate this reclamation."

The group set up a website for people to pin-point and share their street harassment stories, allow victims to share within a non-judgemental environment and support others who may have experienced something similar.

Areas mapped out in the city include New Road, George Street, Pembroke Street, Gloucester Green and Magdalen Street.

Hollaback! Oxford site leader, Alice Leigh, added: "After a year of hearing awful stories of experiences of harassment in Oxford, we are more determined than ever to shine a light on this issue.

"With the help of the Oxford community, charities and politicians, we hope that victims of harassment will feel empowered to speak out and together we can reclaim public spaces."

The two-week anniversary celebration exhibition finishes tomorrow and includes a host of paintings, photography, sculpture, video and creative writing from local artists, makers and writers.

It is hoped the exhibition will help raise awareness of the issue of sexist, racist, xenophobic, transphobic and homophobic harassment experienced on Oxford's streets.

Hollaback! board member, Amy O'Donnell, said: "This community event sets out to demonstrate how we can come together against harassment and injustice through a spectrum of expression in different forms.

"My personal highlights include a safety blanket people can wrap themselves in, a photo series called the ‘Ten Commandments of Cowley’ featuring statements overheard on the Cowley Road such as ‘Don’t be afraid to turn the corner’ and an image of cake icing written on someone’s body challenging some statements we might often treat as the norm."

For details on exhibition opening times contact 01865 245735

For more information about Hollaback! visit oxford.ihollaback.org