THE first event to raise awareness of a change in harassment law has taken place in Worcester.

Worcestershire Forum Against Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence in partnership with the University of Worcester and the Protection Against Stalking Charity held a conference to share information on the new law in England and Wales.

The law provides a non-exhaustive list of behaviours viewed as stalking and the conference attracted a number of keynote speakers, including Sam Taylor, who has been a victim of stalking, and Ruth Jones, the programme leader for the Centre for the Study of Violence and Abuse at the University of Worcester.

Martin Lakeman, strategic co-ordinator for the forum, said : “For the first time in British law, stalking is now a criminal offence. “Under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 – amended under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 – there are now offences of stalking and harassment in British law.

“The forum welcomes this significant amendment as it now means that stalking is recognised for the devastating impact it can have on people’s lives and perpetrators can now be brought to justice under the UK’s judicial system.”

The event, which also supported the National Stalking Awareness Day, welcomed more than 120 professionals working in both West Mercia and in Warwickshire.