SURGE IN STALKING COMPLAINTS AFTER TV'S BABY REINDEER

Calls to helpline up 47% after drama

- SASKIA ROWLANDS

NETFLIX hit series Baby Reindeer has sparked a shocking surge in reports of stalking.

After its release last month, the number of victims helped by the National Stalking Helpline soared from 564 this time last year to 832, up 47%.

And the rise in calls from just March to April was 26%.

Baby Reindeer topped streaming charts around the world within days of hitting our screens.

The seven-part drama tells a version of writer Richard Gadd's experience of being stalked by a woman named Martha, played by Jessica Gunning.

The helpline's policy officer Tallulah Belassie Page said: "We are pleased to see a rise in contacts to our National Stalking Helpline over the last month, meaning that more victims of stalking are getting the support they need.