The county has seen a massive rise in reports of stalking over the last three years, according to figures from Kent Police.

The statistics show officers received nine reports about stalking in November and December 2012 - when new legislation came into effect - but that number rose to 88 last year, and there have been 30 reports so far in 2015.

Police say the rise is because stalking became a specific offence in November 2012 to make it easier for victims to get justice.

45-year-old Kerry Barnett, from Deal, was followed and harassed by a man for around six months ten years ago.

"It's starts off with something small and then grows into something serious and life-threatening" - Kerry Barnett

She says people who think they are being following should report it: "Whilst it's good the number of reports are going up, many are still not coming forward out of fear.

"It isn't something that people want to talk about because they think by reporting it, it's going to do more harm to them than good.

"It's starts off with something small and then grows into something serious and life-threatening."

According to The Office for National statistics 1 in 6 women and 1 in 12 men have been stalked at some point in their lives

Speaking about her experience Kerry said: "Just taking a trip to the supermarket was scary, being followed and being watched.

"It wasn't exactly a pleasant thing to go through.

"It got to the point where I'd had enough and I couldn't go on anymore like that.

"It started off with someone just being really friendly and then over weeks it escalated and became something very concerning.

Watch: Stalking reports see a rise in Kent

"I then had to involve the police.

"You don't know what somebody's ulterior motive's are.

"I honestly think that in the past stalking behaviour has not been seen as it should of been, as a serious offence against a person" - DI Dominic Kilbride

"It may be someone who's just being extremely friendly and nice or someone you already you know, or someone you're in a relationship with or have been in a relationship with."

Up until November 2012, anyone convicted of stalking were generally prosecuted under harassment laws - but only when their actions were seen to cause a fear of violence.

Since them legislation was introduced so that the police can press charges when an alleged stalker caused serious alarm and distress to the victims.

DI Dominic Kilbride, from the Public Protection Unit at Kent Police, said: "I honestly think that in the past stalking behaviour has not been seen as it should of been, as a serious offence against a person.

"The harassment laws have existed since 1997, but there was a gap in the legislation.

"What we found was a lot of people who carried out fairly dangerous stalking behaviour were actually not exhibiting behaviour that was causing fear or violence. For example driving past peoples houses.

"So we could only ever charge the lesser offence.

"The new offences have allowed us to look at alarm and distress where it has serious consequences for the victims.

"They might move house, they might not socialise anymore, it might affect their life in many ways.

"We've seen victims who are too afraid to go out of their house" - DI Dominic Kilbride

"So the new offence has allowed us to look at that specific stalking behaviour and prosecute it.

"When people deliberately use what apparently is less serious offending or less serious behaviour in order to put somebody in fear, then we have to recognise that and we have to have laws that can prosecute that.

"We've seen victims move house, we've seen victims who've lost their jobs because they can't perform at work, victims who are too afraid to go out of their house, too afraid to walk their dog.

"We're quite lucky because whilst you've got the police and the prosecution side of things, there are a number of charities that really have pushed hard about the effects of stalking.

"There's a charity called Paladin that protects victims of stalking.

"There's the Suzy Lamplugh Trust that gives some really good guidance to people around what to do if they believe they're being stalked, they've also got a helpline so there's a lot going on and that is really positive for victims

"Victims must report this, very often if it is within a relationship then people have developed a real lack of confidence to come forward.

"The criminal justice system is not an easy system to use but it is effective and if somebody is having this effect on people they must come forward and report it to the police."

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