Don’t be afraid to speak out over stalkers, say police

CHESHIRE police have urged victims in Halton to speak out over stalking. As part of National Stalking Awareness Week, the constabulary said it was hoping to highlight how no-one should live in fear of another person and to encourage those who think they are being targeted to speak to officers.

This year’s campaign, run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, will focus on helping police and support workers to recognise the signs of stalking at an early stage.

Under the Stalking Matters campaign, the force said it will support the charity in focusing on the perpetrator’s motives, not just specific incidents or behaviour.

A Cheshire Constabulary spokeswoman said a stalker’s motives can be as simple as rearranging a victim’s garden furniture, sending unwanted gifts, loitering on the pavement outside their house, or even calling social services to maliciously report ‘poor’ parenting.

Although these methods of stalking may not present an immediate physical risk, it is behaviours and the obsession and fixation behind them that the trust wants to raise awareness of.

Detective Chief Superintendent Nigel Wenham, of Cheshire Constabulary’s public protection unit, explained: “People don’t often realise how much of a devastating impact stalking can have on victims and the way it can quickly turn their lives completely upsidedown.

“One day someone can be living their day-to-day life and then the next they are in fear, becoming and feeling isolated, leaving the victim with huge emotional scars.

“By supporting national stalking awareness week, it will help officers not only understand how to recognise the signs of stalking but to better engage with victims as well as understand the lengths stalkers will go too.

“This will help us to detect stalking at an early stage in the hope of the victim not having too suffer in the long run.”

Anyone who believes they are a victim of stalking or knows someone who might be should speak to specialist officers by calling Cheshire police on 101.

Always call 999 if there is a threat to life.