BASINGSTOKE'S MP has said the abduction of Sarah Everard has sent "shockwaves across the UK".

Ms Everard was last seen in Clapham on the way home from a friend's house on March 3.

Since then the Metropolitan Police launched an manhunt to try and find the 33-year-old, but on Wednesday found human remains in a woodland in Kent.

Detectives have not yet been able to confirm their identity.

Chairing a debate in the House of Commons on Thursday to mark International Women's Day, Basingstoke MP Maria Miller said "women are not the problem here".

She said: "I want to start by sending my thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Sarah Everard, who are going through such a painful time.

"Her abduction has sent shockwaves across the UK. Sarah did everything to avoid danger.

"Let us be very clear: women are not the problem here.

"For many women, this news story will bring back memories of threatening situations they found themselves in through no fault of their own, sexually harassed on the streets when walking home from meeting friends, receiving anonymous threats of physical violence on social media, or sexually assaulted in plain sight in rush hour on public transport on the way to work.

"Many choose not to talk about this and not to report it for fear of not being believed or taken seriously," she added.

"But the research shows that these sorts of events are part of women’s everyday lives, and that is why what happened to Sarah Everard feels so very close to home.

"So rather than telling women not to worry, listen to our experience.

"Understand why so many women relentlessly campaigned in this Chamber for change to make women feel safer by stopping the harassment and threats of violence in the first place.

"We should not accept a culture of violence towards women, we should not be complicit in covering it up, and we need to give women effective mechanisms to report what happens in order to expose the scale of the problem, call it out publicly, and punish those who perpetrate this culture of fear."

A serving police officer was arrested on suspicion of the murder and kidnap of Ms Everard, as well as a separate allegation of indecent exposure.

The marketing executive was last seen in doorbell video footage walking alone down a main road near Clapham at 21:30 GMT, with police saying it was unclear if she reached her home in Brixton.