Gloucestershire Police rom-com-style trailer helps combat stalking

Gloucestershire Police is using movie-style posters to promote the anti-stalking campaign

A police force has launched an anti-stalking campaign using a video styled as a romantic comedy film trailer.

Gloucestershire Police is using the film as part of actively encouraging stalking victims to report the crimes.

It will be promoted on television, online, at supermarkets and on buses, the force said.

The film portrays a couple who initially appear to be happy, but soon it becomes clear that stalking is affecting their relationship.

It shares the mnemonic, FOUR: Fixated, Obsessed, Unwanted, Repeated, to help people understand and identify the issue.

Launched at Gloucester Guildhall, it has been funded by local Police & Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson, using money from the Home Office.

'I'm still very nervous'

A victim of stalking (who the BBC is not naming) described how her former partner would monitor her phone, ring her multiple times a day, send her unwanted gifts and turn up at her house uninvited.

But it was not until after she finished the relationship, she realised his behaviour amounted to stalking.

"Once I was talking to [the police] and they reaffirmed me and said, 'This is a problem', that was when I realised he was definitely stalking."

She described her terror when one day she discovered he had broken into her house and hid in a cupboard. He has since been convicted of stalking.

"I'm still very nervous. I'm constantly worried about upsetting everybody," she added, explaining how she now jumps at sudden loud noises.

The couple in the film initially seem happy but it soon becomes clear they have problems with stalking

A recent survey by the personal safety and stalking charity, The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, involved asking young people aged 16-24 about their experiences of stalking.

Out of 181 responses, it found 77% of people had experienced at least one aspect of stalking-related behaviour.

Trust CEO Suzy Bhaker said there was an "urgent need" to improve access to specialist support for young people being targeted by a stalker.

"It is imperative that young victims of stalking receive the help and support they need," she said.

Det Supt Ian Fletcher urges victims to contact the police

Det Supt Ian Fletcher said figures have increased in recent years as police are now more aware of stalking as a type of crime.

"We are actively asking people to report suspicious behaviour to us," he said.

Funding for the film was secured by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire (OPCC), from the Home Office's Safer Streets Fund (SSF).

It has been produced by advertising agency Affixxius, which also produced an anti-misogyny campaign video for the force in 2022.