First interim Stalking Protection Order granted in West Midlands

The 25-year-old from Dudley, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on Thursday(19).

The orders can be imposed while any criminal cases are being built, which provides extra protection for victims at an early stage.

The SPOs allow West Midlands Police to block alleged perpetrators from contacting people or approaching their accusers at the earliest opportunity, while the criminal investigation is carried out.

The interim order has been issued until July 2, when the full order application will be heard. If breached, the man can face up to five years in prison.

Detective Inspector Cate Webb-Jones from our public protection unit, said: “The new legislation is a really powerful new tool which will help provide early support for victims of stalking and harassment.

“We acknowledge that more needs to be done to improve how we and the CPS respond to stalking cases, particularly around identifying patterns of behaviour rather than looking at incidents in isolation.

"These orders will put immediate restrictions on behaviours which will often run parallel with criminal investigations so we can understand more about what is going on.

“Stalking cases are often very complex and are extremely distressing for victims.

"We are committed to bringing these offenders to justice and safeguarding victims at the earliest opportunity and SPOs will help us to do that more effectively."