Nearly 8,000 people have been stalked or harassed in Hertfordshire in the last five years, figures show.

In a Freedom of Information request, Hertfordshire Police revealed that there have been 7,593 cases of harassment in the county since 2010.

The figures coincide with National Stalking Awareness Week, which started today, to encourage more victims to come forward and access the services available to them.

According to further figures released by the Crime Survey for England and wales, stalking affects one in six women and one in 12 men.

The majority of stalkers are known to their victims either as ex-partners or acquaintances but some are stalked by complete strangers.

Around 80 per cent of stalkers are male but they and their victims can be of either gender, and most will experience multiple behaviours before reporting it to the police.

Stalking is not a one off crime and are a series of incidents where taken into isolation can appear trivial, but put together can make a person feel threatened.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust have created a film called ‘What is Stalking’ to raise awareness about the crime, which has been supported by Hertfordshire Constabulary.

Detective Superintendent Paul Maghie, from the County Community Safety Unit, said: "Stalking is a terrifying crime which has a major impact on victims.

"It can create fear and paranoia and victims will often feel violated and distressed. We fully support anything that can raise awareness of this crime, which can be so subtle to begin with but unfortunately can lead to something sinister.

"The key to protecting victims and alleviating the fear and harm is through people having the knowledge of what stalking is and what to do about it."

To view the video, click here.