HUNDREDS of men and women marched through Colchester town centre a demonstration of unity in calls to stamp out domestic violence and sexual abuse.

More than 200 people met outside Firstsite to parade around the town centre for the Reclaim the Night event.

The march was organised by Colchester-based charity Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse.

It coincided with the 40th anniversary of when Reclaim the Night first came to the UK in 1977.

The 1970s demonstration was in response to marches spreading across Europe as a protest to crimes against women.

CARA manager and Reclaim the Night organiser Sarah Clementson said: “It was an incredible evening and a really powerful and emotional event.

“It saw us stand shoulder to shoulder to take a stand against violence towards women.

“We made the hidden visible.

“We stood together and said this violence is not OK, that we will not be silenced and this has to stop.

“Next year is CARA’s 30th anniversary and we look forward to returning to make even more noise.”

CARA works with victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, providing support and representing their rights and needs.

Sarah added: “It’s hard to believe how much the march is still needed over 40 years after it came the UK.

“The statistics speak for themselves.

“One in three women experience sexual abuse of some kind in their lifetime.

“Two women a week are killed by their male partner or ex-partner. This is unacceptable.”

Men and children also joined the demonstration through Colchester town centre.

According to ManKind, in 2016/17, 1.6 million men said they had experienced partner abuse since the age of 16.