Man arrested on suspicion of repeatedly harassing women in Lydney

Police have made an arrest following six reports that a man had been following women in a car and harassing them.

Officers have received numerous reports over the last week from women in Lydney that they had been followed by a man who was driving a black Range Rover.

The man, who was not known to any of the women, had followed them in the vehicle while driving very slowly, shouting at them or whistling at them, and causing them to feel intimidated.

A total of six reports were made to police between Friday 11 and Sunday 20 September.

Officers are now asking for any other women who may have been the victim of a similar incident, but who have not come forward to report it to police.

Following work by officers to identify the suspect, a man in his 20s from the Forest of Dean has been arrested on suspicion of committing offences under the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023. He remains in custody and enquiries are continuing.

Gloucestershire Police is supporting the It Does Matter campaign, which aims to raise awareness of non-contact sexual offences and reinforce the importance of reporting, recording and tackling these offences to protect our communities.

Non-contact sexual offences include, but are not limited to:

• Exposure
• Voyeurism
• Upskirting
• Spiking
• Catcalling

Evidence shows they can form part of a pattern of escalating behaviour. Many sexual offenders begin with non-contact sexual offending before progressing to more serious offences. This makes identifying, recording and investigating these incidents vitally important.

You can find out more about the national campaign here: www.itdoesmatter.org.uk

Anyone who believes they have been a victim of a similar incident is asked to contact Gloucestershire Police through the website, quoting reference number 53260081317: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us/us/a-crime-that-has-already-been-reported/