STALKING offences in Hampshire are set to hit a record high this year, figures suggest.

During the first six months since the coronavirus pandemic hit, stalking was reported six times a day on average across Hampshire.

Home Office data shows that the number of stalking offences recorded in the six months between April and September by Hampshire Constabulary, is already 64 per cent higher than the amount recorded during the whole previous year.

The force recorded 1,017 stalking offences between April and September – in the 12 months to March 2020 there were 622.

According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, almost one in five women over the age of 16 have experienced stalking, as well as almost one in ten men.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust said calls to its National Stalking Helpline have risen since the start of the pandemic, with cyber stalking cases also surging.

As lockdown restrictions eased, a higher number of victims came forward to report stalking, compared to the first lockdown months.

Between July and September, 667 such crimes were reported in Hampshire – 317 more than the previous three months.

Changes in law and procedures may have had an impact on the figures.

In January 2020, the Home Office introduced Stalking Protection Orders, which ban perpetrators from approaching their victims and may also force them to seek professional help.

The Orders will usually last for a minimum of 2 years, with a breach counting as a criminal offence that can result in up to 5 years in prison.

Changes to the way stalking is recorded were also introduced in April 2019, with the crime being recorded in addition to the most serious offence involving the same victim or offender.

Since April 2020, all cases of harassment reported between ex-partners must also be recorded as stalking, unless the police are satisfied stalking is not a factor.

The Home Office has provided £4.1 million over the last three years to the Metropolitan, Hampshire and Cheshire police forces as part of the Multi Agency Stalking Intervention Programme, which provides interventions with stalking perpetrators.

However, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust said that while these changes may have contributed to a rise in reports, there was still significant underreporting of the crime.

A spokesman for the charity said: "Since March 2020 we have seen a rise in calls to the helpline, clients are more distressed and are requiring much greater support, we have also seen an increase in cyber stalking cases.

"Demand has fluctuated to the helpline over the course of the pandemic, in some periods it has tripled on pre-covid levels.

"The introduction of Stalking Protection Orders has been very much welcomed, though we do still hope to see more police forces issuing them.

"According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales there are around 1.5 million victims of stalking each year and as such we believe there is still significant underreporting of this crime."

Victoria Atkins, Safeguarding Minister, said: “The Government introduced Stalking Protection Orders last year to crack down on this deeply distressing crime, and I know that police forces are making good use of them.

"These orders are designed to stop perpetrators at the earliest opportunity and prevent them contacting victims - for those who refuse to be rehabilitated, we have doubled maximum sentences for stalking and harassment to 10 years.

"The Home Office also part-funds the National Stalking Helpline and has allocated £211,000 to stalking-focused charities to help them to deal with the consequences of the pandemic.

"The increased reporting in this instance demonstrates greater public awareness around stalking offences and the commitment of the police to tackle this abhorrent crime."