Hull second worst area in nation for stalking and harassment

5,754 OFFENCES REPORTED

- By IVAN MORRIS POXTON

TWO local authority areas in the Humberside force region have ranked among the top three worst in England and Wales for stalking and harassment reported crimes.

In the 12 months to September 2024, police forces recorded more than 600,000 crimes of stalking and harassment, according to ONS-compiled data from police force and community safety partnership areas. Hull ranked second, with 5,754 reported stalking or harassment offences, working out at one in 47 people being stalked or harassed.

North East Lincolnshire was the area with, proportionally, the third most-reported such crimes at 3,353 in the 12 months, a crime rate of 21 per 1,000 people. Or, to put another way, the equivalent of one in 48 people in North East Lincolnshire being stalked or harassed in the last year alone.

The data comes as the week of April 21 marked National Stalking Awareness Week, which highlights the impact and seriousness of stalking.

Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Jonathan Evison said any report of stalking or harassment is a cause for concern, but the figures showed "more victims are finding the confidence to come forward".