An East Lancashire MP is urging the victims of stalkers to report the crime swiftly and with confidence.

Hyndburn Conservative backbencher Sara Britcliffe has joined with the Attorney General Victoria Prentice to highlight how the offence can devastate lives, during a National Stalking Awareness Week campaign.

Ms Britcliffe said: “Stalking is a serious crime which can devastate victims.

"But as the Attorney General has highlighted, it’s vital people who are victims come forward.

"This campaign is about ensuring people know they don’t need to be scared to come forward.

"The police treat such matters with absolute confidentiality, and I would urge anyone in Hyndburn who has experienced this unacceptable behaviour to report it straight away to the police.”

Attorney General Victoria Prentice, who met with the Crown Prosecution Service to discuss what it is doing to tackle stalking, said: “Stalking doesn’t have to be acts of violence - anything that causes distress, serious alarm or significantly impacts the ability to carry out normal day-to-day tasks can be considered.”

Stalking is defined as a pattern of unwanted, fixated, obsessive, and repeated behaviour, which is persistent, intrusive and causes fear of violence or engenders alarm and distress in the victim.

Since the pandemic, there has also been an increase in cyberstalking.

Victims of the crime are urged to contact the police by calling 101 to bring their stalker to justice.