DORSET Police have not made any use of new legal powers to protect victims of stalking. Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) are a new civil power available to police which impose restrictions on suspected stalkers. They are designed to make it easier to curb the behaviour of stalkers, with a lower burden of proof required than for a criminal conviction. The latest data reveals that Dorset Police are one of just four forces who have failed to apply for a single order, which have been available to police forces in England and Wales since January 2020. In Dorset no orders were applied for, despite a sharp spike in stalking incidents - in 2019 there were 416 incidents of stalking compared to 780 incidents in 2020.
Samantha Bumford, 27, from Poole, said she will never recover from stalker
Miss England finalist revealed the experience is always going to haunt me
Jonathan Deal besieged beauty queen with unwanted messages on social media
His infatuation culminated in him following her to the finals of Miss England
Deal, who claims he was on BGT, was jailed twice in 2019 for harassing her
Months ago, she said she no longer feels safe going out alone after spotting Deal