Gates will close off lanes in Glasgow city centre at night. Police say about 700 crimes from rape to assault are committed each year in alleys. Is it a step too far?

Laura Chillag, 22, a graduate from Wigan, said gates were "not a good idea" but conceded they could cut crime during the week. She said: "I have always felt safe in Glasgow."

Damian Macklin, 21, a student in Glasgow's west end, was assaulted in a bar. He said: "If there is an issue, police should do something. There are areas where I feel intimidated."

Emily Gardner, 22, unemployed, from Aberdeenshire, said the gates were going "too far". She said: "You go into lanes at your own risk. I've never had any trouble."

Babak Taheri, 28, a PhD student from Iran, said gates cannot guarantee safety and are a step "too far". He added: "I feel safe in some areas, others - 100% not."

Tara Brown, 22, a graduate from Lanark, said: "You do take a risk if you go up a dark lane where there is no CCTV. I feel safe in Glasgow but prefer not to walk about by myself."

Michael Mackinnon, 35, a sound engineer in Woodlands, said the scheme tackled the symptoms, not the causes of crime. He added: "Crime will happen. I stay clear of the city centre."