A Notts woman stalked by her ex-boyfriend says she is living in fear after he attached a GPS tracker to her car and continually broke into her home.
The woman, who cannot be named, says she doesn’t go out any more after her former partner also slashed the fan belt on her car and bagged up all her clothes, with the intention of burning them.
The district nurse, who couldn’t carry out her job because of the stalking, is now being treated for breast cancer and says her life has been turned upside down.
She said: “I have no confidence anymore, I don’t go out anywhere, I no longer have friends and no one comes round to see me. My daughter never leaves my side and she is frightened too.”
My life has been tipped upside down
“I feel as though I am to blame and guilty but I haven’t done anything wrong.”
She spoke out as part of National Stalking Awareness Week, which is running until Sunday.
Her ex-boyfriend was pursued by detectives from Notts Police and was handed a restraining order.
The victim said: “I felt like I was being watched, I would look out of my windows and he would just appear. I felt like I was being controlled all the time.”
She said the stalking had also caused stress for her parents and her daughter, who “live in fear”.
“It has affected my parents who are in their 70s. They don’t need this upset and both sets of parents have been affected.”
Police say stalking often starts with phone calls, texts and disturbing emails and can lead to physical stalking and intimidation of victims.
DCI Clare Dean said: “The impact on victims of stalking should not be underestimated. It can have such an effect that everyday life becomes harder and harder to deal with.”
“We want to encourage people to come forward and report stalking. It’s a serious offence and we will do everything we can to protect those who are suffering and bring perpetrators to justice.”
Around one in six women and one in 12 men will be stalked at some point in their lives, according to Home Office figures.
A video outlining the threat posed by stalkers through the internet and social media has been made by the Suzi Lamplugh Trust.
The trust was set up in memory of the London estate agent who went missing in 1986, and is presumed murdered.
Video: The Suzi Lamplugh trust hopes to make more women aware of the risks of stalking
