A Gloucestershire man has become the first in the county to be served with a Stalking Protection Order under the new Stalking Protection Act. The new law came into force in January and enables police forces to better protect victims by preventing the defendant from carrying out acts associated with stalking. Gloucestershire police obtained the order against the man, who is in his 20s and from Gloucester, during a hearing at Cheltenham Magistrates Court earlier this month following an investigation into a complaint that he was stalking his ex-partner and her family. The order, which has been granted for five years means that the man cannot contact the victim directly or indirectly or carry out surveillance by any means.