Harassment of women in street set to be a crime

FORMER Cabinet minister Greg Clark hopes a law change to protect women on our streets will make it "crystal clear" that perpetrators cannot abuse them

- Steph Spyro

The ex-Business Secretary said there is no actual criminal offence of deliberately harassing a woman or girl in public, even when it is clearly intended to cause alarm or humiliation.

He put forward the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Bill to close a loophole that leaves women feeling unsafe when walking alone at night. It returns to the Lords today for its second reading.

Mr Clark said: "The everyday experience of so many women and girls is that they fear being harassed when alone.