THE West Midlands Police force area has seen a surge in reported stalking incidents yet just three per cent have resulted in a charge.

Figured analysed by the BBC's Shared Data Unit show stalking cases have rocketed from 696 in 2019-20 to 4,087 incidents reported between April and December 2020 - a rise of 487 per cent!

Just three per cent of cases reported in that nine-month period in 2020, however, resulted in a charge...and just 10 Stalking Protection Orders, which have been available to police since January 2020, have been granted to impose restrictions on suspected stalkers.

Meanwhile, national crime outcomes data shows the number of stalking incidents recorded by police across the country has surged since 2019.

The latest figures show 59,950 incidents were recorded across England and Wales in the nine months between April and December 2020 - almost double the annual number of incidents for the year ending March 2020.

While the national charge rate for stalking offences is at its lowest point for five years, falling from 23 per cent in 2015/16 to just six per cent for the nine months to December 2020.

Meanwhile, just 249 Stalking Protection Orders have been granted in England since January 2020, despite more than 55,000 stalking incidents being recorded by police in the nine months to December 2020 alone. In Wales, just two orders were granted despite more than 4,000 stalking incidents recorded in the same period.

SPOs are designed to make it easier to curb the behaviour of stalkers, with a lower burden of proof required than for a criminal conviction. Data, however, shows their use varies widely from police force to police force.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “Stalking Protection Orders stop perpetrators in their tracks and prevent them contacting victims. We expect police forces to make full use of them.

“The Home Office and College of Policing have worked closely with forces to produce guidance on issuing them.

“Next week, Home Office officials will meet with the police and other stakeholders who work to tackle stalking to set out our findings on how effectively police forces have been using SPOs and discuss how to improve this.”

Lisa King, communications director at domestic violence charity Refuge, said: "The stalking orders haven't been in play for that long. The police should have had training during that time to understand how to use those stalking protection orders that are so needed by women, to protect them.

"The legislation is there, it's no good passing the legislation and then letting it become a dusty piece of paper. It needs to become meaningful."

She said the surge in cases during the Covid lockdowns had been "surprising" and she added: "It is an indication of how it is so much more technologically enabled now and you can do that at distance, and during the pandemic when we’ve all been locked in and locked up, that is clearly what has been going on all around the country with the numbers reported being so high."

And she continued: "It’s important to remember that the vast majority of stalking or domestic abuse incidents never get reported to the police - only ever around 20 per cent.

"So the figures really are the tip of an iceberg."

Stalking is a form of harassment and involves a fixation and repeated or unwanted behaviour that makes a person feel distressed or scared and it can entail:

(1) following a person,

(2) contacting, or attempting to contact, a person by any means,

(3) publishing any statement or other material relating or purporting to relate to a person, or purporting to originate from a person,

(4) monitoring the use by a person of the internet, email or any other form of electronic communication,

(5) loitering in any place (whether public or private),

(6) interfering with any property in the possession of a person,

(7) watching or spying on a person.

Anyone can be a victim of stalking, but police say here in the West Midlands 96 percent of stalking victims are women and that on average victims will suffer 70 to 100 incidents before reporting them to police.

Anyone who doesn't feel comfortable reporting the matter to the police can seek help from a number of stalking charities such as the National Stalking Helpline, Protection Against Stalking (PAS), Network for Surviving Stalking (NSS), Suzy Lamplugh Trust, National Stalking Advocacy Service, Digital Stalking Advice and Citizens Advice.

Anyone who feels they are being stalked should keep a diary of what is happening. Every time an unwanted communication is received, be it a text message, social media contact, email, letter, present – note it down along with the date and time. People are also advised to make a note of any details about the perpetrator such as where they live or work, their vehicle number plate, online names or personas/ nicknames, and numbers that have been used to make contact.

Victims are advised to keep any gifts or items received or any other evidence of a stalker’s behaviour and they are urged never to arrange to meet a stalker or try to resolve things alone.

Anyone needing help should contact police on 101 or call 999 in an emergency.