Public screenings of Kayleigh’s Love Story

Leicestershire Police are inviting people aged 18 and above to watch the film about Measham teenager Kayleigh Haywood at 8 different locations across the force area.

Lasting just over 5 minutes, Kayleigh’s Love Story is a warning to children and parents of the dangers of online grooming.

In November last year, 15-year-old Kayleigh was groomed online by 28-year-old Luke Harlow – a man she had never met. Over the course of 13 days, he sent the teenager more than 100 messages a day before she finally agreed to spend the night at his house in Ibstock.

The tragic and horrific circumstances that followed saw the schoolgirl being held against her will by Harlow and his neighbour Stephen Beadman, before being raped and murdered by 29-year-old Beadman.

The screenings throughout September will coincide with the start of the roll out of the film in schools in Leicester, Leicestershire and in Rutland to children aged 11 and above.

These schools screenings will be delivered by specialist police staff. Parents will also be invited by schools to see the film before it is shown to their child.

The public screening dates are:

• Monday 5 September: Loughborough Town Hall, Market Place, at 3pm, 4pm, 5pm and at 6pm.
• Tuesday 6 September: Blaby District Council offices, Desford Road, at 3pm, 4pm, 5pm and at 6pm.
• Wednesday 7 September: Oadby and Wigston Borough Council offices, Station Road, at 3pm, 4pm, 5pm and at 6pm
• Thursday 8 September: Rutland County Council offices, Catmose Park Road, at 4:30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm and at 7:30pm
• Thursday 15 September: Melton Borough Council offices, Burton Street, at 3pm, 4pm, 5pm and at 6pm
• Friday 16 September: Market Harborough District Council – The Symington Building, Adam and Eve Street, at 3pm, 4pm, 5pm and at 6pm
• Tuesday 20 September: City Hall, Charles Street, at 3pm, 4pm, 5pm and at 6pm
• Wednesday 28 September: Hinckley Hub, Rugby Road, at 3:30pm, 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm and at 7:30pm

Although a trailer of the film is available to watch, the full film will not be made publicly available online until January next year.

The trailer carries a warning that, if it were to be screened at a cinema, it would carry a 15 certificate.

The film is a part of a campaign being run by the Force and Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner asking people to make a commitment to fight child sexual exploitation. CEASE – Commitment to Eradicate Abuse and Sexual Exploitation – is a major, multi-agency initiative in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and asks people to make a public commitment that such abuse and exploitation of children will not be tolerated. We want members of the public to help ‘spot the signs’ to prevent young people coming to harm.

People attending the public screenings in September will be asked to sign the pledge.

You can sign the pledge online or by texting the word CEASE to 87007.