What is a restraining order, how is stalking defined in the UK and which celebrities have been victims of the crime?

TOUGHER sentences for stalkers have been rolled out in a drive for harsher punishments to reflect the severity of the crime.

The government has increased the maximum sentence for people found guilty of stalking, doubling prison time from five to ten years.

Is stalking a crime in the UK?

Stalking became a crime in the UK in 2012 when the Government changed the law to cover actions including following or spying on someone.

Cyberstalking – such as inundating someone with unwanted messages online – is also covered by law.

Before the Protections of Freedom Act made it a specific crime, police had to wait until stalkers committed another crime – such as harassment or breaching a restraining order – before they acted.

Harassment includes bullying and making violent threats to the victim or their family, whereas stalking covers any kind of unwanted attention – such as sending unsolicited gifts or following someone.

When the law was introduced MP Elfyn Llwyd, who chaired the inquiry, said many stalking was widely regarded as a “joke” in the justice system.

“The reality is very different, as the victims’ traumatic evidence reminded us,” added the Plaid Cymru politician.

What is a harassment order?

Harassment is both a criminal offence and a civil action under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

So you can also take action against someone in the civil courts – even if they haven’t been convicted of a criminal offence.

The court can make an order or injunction ordering that the person harassing you must stop.

If they don’t, it becomes a criminal offence as they have breached a court order.

You can also ask the court for compensation if you’ve suffered financial or emotional loss – for example, if the harassment has made you feel very anxious or distressed.

Claims need to be made within six years of when the harassment happened.

How are the laws on stalking changing?

The government has announced it wants stalkers to face longer jail terms to reflect the severity of the crime.

It follows plans announced last December for new Stalking Protection Orders, which would allow courts to place a civil Asbo-style order on a suspected stalker from the first instance.

The plans are part of a drive to toughen the punishments handed to those responsible for the most devastating harassment campaigns.

Ministers wanted the sentences to reflect the severity of the crime and its damaging consequences for victims.

Justice Minister Sam Gyimah said: “Stalkers torment their victims and can make everyday life almost unbearable.

“We are doubling the maximum sentences available to the courts so these awful crimes can be properly punished.

“We are also working across the criminal justice system to ensure mental health issues associated with these crimes are properly addressed.”

What’s the maximum sentence for stalking?

The maximum custodial sentence available to courts in England and Wales for stalking has now risen from five to ten years.

If the offence was racially or religiously aggravated, the most severe sanction will double from seven to 14 years.

Figures show that 194 people were convicted of stalking in England and Wales in 2015 and the average custodial sentence was just over a year at 14.1 months.

Which celebs have been stalked?

Celebs are under threat from stalkers like never before thanks to social media.

Obsessive weirdos can now track their famous victims by clues given away by their icons.

Recently, a woman has been accused of stalking Prince George at his new school.

Actor Eddie Redmayne revealed he had a stalker of five years who bombarded him with love letters and harassed him in the park and at premieres.

Corrie actress Kim Marsh has been stalked on and off screen.

Her character Michelle Connor faced untold terror at the hands of her stalker Will Chatterton in Coronation Street.

What is the Sun campaigning for?

With more than one million people targeted by stalkers every year, the Sun is backing to stop a stalker in their tracks.

It is hoped that Stalking Protection Orders would allow police to go to magistrates at the first hint of stalking for an order warning an offender to stop or face jail.

The change would allow police to step in before the situation escalated, ensuring victims feel safer sooner and are protected from any harm.