JUST two orders restricting the actions of suspected stalkers have been issued in Hampshire as latest figures show the number of reports rocketing.

Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) can be handed out by police to impose restrictions on suspected stalkers.

The special powers are designed to allow police to act at the earliest opportunity by restricting stalkers from certain places, approaching their victim or even referring to them on social media.

SPOs became available to police forces in England and Wales from January 2020, and can be granted by magistrates’ courts to police forces.

Data from the BBC Shared Data Unit shows Hampshire Police have applied for just six SPOs since January 2020.

Of these six, two of these were granted with one rejected. Meanwhile, three SPOs have still not been heard.

There were 1,535 stalking incidents reported to police between April 2020 and December 2020.

The previous year - April 2019 to March 2020, there were 618 and the year prior to that, 398 incidents reported.

Breaching an SPO is a criminal offence that could lead to up to five years in prison.

In England, 294 orders have been granted since January 2020.

The national charge rate for stalking offences is at its lowest point for five years.

It has fallen from 23 per cent in 2015/16 to just six per cent for the nine months to December 2020.

However, the Hampshire charge rate is a fraction above the national average.

The latest charge rate from March 2020 to December 2020 was 6.25 per cent - 96 charges.

It has dropped from 15.37 per cent in 2019/20 and in 21.36 per cent in 2018/19.

A Hampshire Police spokesperson said: “We take stalking and harassment extremely seriously.

“Stalking Protection Orders are one way of handling this, and we also have options such as a multi-agency mental health response to tackle the behaviours of offenders.”

The force said they were unable to answer specific questions on this occasion.