Stalkers in Nottinghamshire are more likely to face police action than at any time in the past - that is the message from the police at the start of a national week of action.

Over the last year more than 400 suspects have been arrested and questioned over their behaviour as officers take an increasingly robust approach to protecting victims.

Charges were also brought on 175 occasions – an increase of more than 40 per cent on the previous year.

As an increasing number of victims come forward for help, Nottinghamshire Police has also increased its use of restrictive court orders to place additional controls on perpetrators, with 16 issued in the last financial year.

Were applicable, Stalking Protection Orders can also run alongside criminal prosecutions and can forbid a person from contacting others or from taking certain actions.

Every breach of an order is an offence in its own right and could result in a jail sentence.

Speaking at the start of National Stalking Awareness Week, stalking lead DCI Jo Elbourn said: "As a police officer I obviously want to see people charged, convicted jailed for these appalling offences, but there also many other things we do to help and protect victims.

"Ultimately our priority is to understand the level of threat they face, to safeguard them from harm and bring an end to the behaviours they are concerned about.

"Once we know more about what is happening, we take a very robust and proactive approach against alleged perpetrators – arresting them early to send a clear message about their behaviour and thinking very carefully about what we can do next."

Stalking offences are defined by a pattern of fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated behaviours – in person or through remote means such as social media.

Actions that can result in criminal charges include following or making unwanted contact with a victim, publishing unwanted material related to them, monitoring or spying on them, or interfering with property.

Nottinghamshire Police receives around 100 reports of stalking every month, most of which involve women being harassed by former or current male partners.

DCI Elbourn added: "In cases we deem to be high risk, we are increasingly applying for and secure Stalking Protection Orders from the courts. These take a lot of time to secure, but they also give us significant power to intervene in cases where perpetrators continue to harass to victims.

"As people who breach them very quickly find out, these orders have real teeth and can quickly land people in prison. For that reason, they are very well observed – giving victims the respite they need as investigations progress.

"Policing has changed a lot in this regard even in the last ten years and we continue to improve our response. Put simply, stalkers in Nottinghamshire are now more likely than ever to face police action and that is a good thing.

"However, one of our biggest challenges when it comes to stalking offences is the reluctance of some victims to come forward and seek help. Some may not want to involve the police, whilst others may not actually be aware that the behaviours they are experiencing amount to stalking.

"In National Stalking Awareness Week we want to make it clear to victims, their friends and their families that help is always there if you need it. We take this seriously and will do whatever we can to help you."