Are victims of stalking being ignored?
You feel like you're being hunted down
A report out today says training for police forces is urgently needed to improve their ability to recognise stalking when it occurs. It comes after singer Lily Allen opened up about her own experience of being stalked and how she was made to feel like a "nuisance rather than a victim" by police investigating her case.
We speak to Sam Taylor, who understands what the star went through. In 2008 she made the decision to end a relationship after five years and was then stalked by her ex for three years. She says it's up to the police to recognise a stalking case and has since set up a charity to help others going through similar experiences called Veritas.
In Great Britain, one in five women and one in 121 men will be stalked in their lifetime
The number of stalking cases recorded by the police represents less than one per cent of the cases that take place each year
Of the 41 police and crime commissioners plus the Mayors Office for Policing and Crime in London, only nine have commissioned services that specifically work with victims of stalking
Only 0.18 per cent of the total police and crime commissioner budget for victims services for England and Wales in 2015/2016 was spent on stalking-specific projects
In 2015, the National Stalking Helpline, run by Suzy Lamplugh Trust, received over 6,500 calls and emails for help and advice. The Helpline was not able to answer all calls because of limited capacity and a year-on-year increase in demand for the service