GB News reporter Ellie Costello tells of stalking 'ordeal' as super-complaint brought against police

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A group of campaigners hope it will force police to toughen their response to behaviour that was specifically criminalised ten years ago. ITV News' Katie Cole reports

GB News presenter Ellie Costello has revealed how she was left fearing for her safety after she was stalked by a man for more than a year.

The journalist said the man, who she said she had never met, stalked her for the past 16 months, in what she described as a "scary ordeal".

The stalker was sentenced on Thursday and handed a five-year restraining order, Costello tweeted.

"I feel an intense sense of relief but the experience has caused me to experience huge paranoia, anxiety and distress," she said.

She described how she had appeared in court on Thursday to read her victim impact statement from behind a curtain, as she "felt it was important to appear in person and describe in my own words how the past 16 months have affected me".

Ellie Costello reports from the queue for the Queen's lying-in-state. Credit: Youtube - GB News

Costello told the Daily Mail newspaper of one incident when, as she was broadcasting on the day of the Queen's funeral in September, she saw her stalker walking towards her laughing.

She called the police, but was unable to speak due to a panic attack, with the stalker disappearing before officers had calmed her down, the paper reported.

The presenter said in a tweet that she had "let unwarranted and inappropriate messages and unsolicited visits to my workplace go on for far too long," before she reported her stalker to the police.

"If a person's behaviour is making you feel uncomfortable then you should report it as soon as possible," she added.

Costello's ordeal comes as police have been accused of failing to protect women from stalking in a super-complaint.

The National Stalking Consortium, a group of 21 expert individuals and organisations, said there are systemic issues in how stalking is dealt with, with only 5% of cases in England and Wales ending with a charge.

Suky Bhaker, chief executive of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which set up the consortium, said a significant number of stalking victims are being let down by the police.

“We support thousands of victims every year across our National Stalking Service and a significant number of them tell us that they are being let down by the police and the courts at every step of their journey to justice," Ms Baker said.

“Failure to identify and investigate stalking at the earliest possible opportunity results in an increasing risk of physical and psychological harm to the victim.

“We hope that the outcome of this super-complaint will result in robust recommendations to improve the police response to stalking across the country which is so vitally needed.”

'We need the police service to take this seriously,' Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary Anneliese Dodds said.

She said: 'Some of the cases I've heard of where, repeatedly, women have raised concerns, they've repeatedly made reports to the police and patterns have not been noticed and acted on - that's deeply, deeply worrying.'

The anti-stalking campaigners claim police are failing to identify patterns of behaviour and often treat incidents as lower level crimes such as malicious communications or criminal damage.

They said they are “highly concerned” that reports of stalking are not properly investigated due to officers incorrectly believing there is not enough evidence, and that stalking protection orders, introduced by the Home Office to provide victims with rapid protection from potentially dangerous stalkers, are not used often enough.

Claire Waxman, Victims’ Commissioner for London and herself a victim of stalking, said: “Too many stalking victims are being let down by the police and wider justice system – with stalking behaviours being ignored or minimised, and breaches of restraining orders not taken seriously enough.

She said the 5% charge rate was "unacceptably low," adding, "change is well overdue as stalking victims deserve to be protected."

Once the super-complaint is submitted, a watchdog will decide whether it is eligible for investigation.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for stalking and harassment, Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills, said: “Harassment and stalking are serious crimes which can have a devastating effect on the lives of victims and their friends and family.

“Stalking is a crime which goes to the very heart of violence against women and girls, removing their feeling of safety.

“It is recognised there is more to do to improve the criminal justice system outcomes for victims of stalking and we are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to understand the progression of cases before the point of charge and court.”

Police in England and Wales issued more than 400 stalking protection orders in 2020 and expect the number to increase.

The number of stalking crimes recorded by forces has also risen, which chiefs claim is due to improved awareness of offending behaviour.

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