CAMPAIGNING local MP Janet Anderson has welcomed the Government's decision to make stalking a crime.

But she slammed their delay in taking action.

Ministers will finally act on the issue tomorrow and publish a Green Paper.

Men who persistently harass and terrify women but stop short of violence are expected to face up to five years in prison under the plan.

The jail sentence will come into effect if the victims are in fear of a future physical attack.

Lesser harassment will see a fine of up to £5,000 or six months in prison.

Victims will be entitled to get a restraining order against their stalker, meaning that further harassment would open them up to imprisonment for contempt of court.

But the new measures will take more than a year to implement, angering Mrs Anderson, MP for Rossendale and Darwen, who tried to introduce an almost identical measure earlier this year.

The Labour Home Affairs Whip said: "I welcome the fact that the Government is finally acting on stalking.

"I understand the proposals are very similar to my bill which they killed.

"If they had accepted that bill, the legislation would have been in force much sooner. This has caused a delay of several months.

"But if the proposals are workable, Labour will back them as we, unlike the Government, think this is an issue which transcends politics."

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