Stalking cases in Watford have risen by 500 per cent since 2013.

A freedom of information request submitted by the Observer has revealed that the number of stalking crimes has risen from three in 2013 to 15 in 2016. 

In total, there have been 35 stalking crimes committed since the start of 2013 – of these, 32 were cases of men stalking women, two were females stalking other women and one was a man stalking another male.

But speaking to the Observer, a spokesperson for the national charity Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which helps victims of stalking, said this figure is nowhere near high enough.

Victoria Charleston said: “While we are happy to hear that the figure has increased – because this means more people are recognising the crime and it is raising social awareness – 15 crimes in one year isn’t really scratching the surface.

“It’s believed that almost 1.1m stalking crimes are committed each year, with less than one per cent ending in prosecution.

“This is partly because some people don’t recognise that they are a victim of stalking  and also because police do not have the correct training to recognise it.”

Miss Charleston said often stalking claims are dismissed and not taken seriously, or incidents are incorrectly recorded as harassment.

In 2015, 194 people were convicted of stalking offences and 835 were convicted of putting people in fear of violence. The average sentence was 14.1 months.

But earlier this year, the Ministry of Justice announced that the maximum prison sentence for stalking was double to ten years, following pressure from political parties.

Hertfordshire Constabulary was contacted for a comment.

Anyone who believes they may be a victim of stalking should contact the police and call the national stalking helpline on 0808 802 0300.