Devon and Cornwall Police recorded more stalking and harassment offences last year, recent figures show.

Meanwhile the number of offences declined across England and Wales, while continuing to disproportionately impact women.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a stalking and personal safety charity, warned stalking is an "underreported and therefore under documented crime", and called on the Government to publish its new Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and provide more funding towards specialist support services.

Stalking and harassment offences are defined in the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and can lead to up to 10 years – or 14 years if racially or religiously aggravated – in custody.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show Devon and Cornwall Police recorded 14,530 stalking and harassment offences in the year to March – up 13 per cent from 12,853 the previous year.

It means there were around eight such offences per 1,000 people in the area, which was below the 10 per 1,000 average across England and Wales.

Police forces across the two nations logged 599,908 stalking and harassment offences last year, representing a six per cent decrease from 636,954 the year before.

While the national number of offences has declined in recent years, stalking continues to disproportionately impact women.

Separate ONS crime survey figures show women accounted for 70 per cent of the 1.4 million estimated stalking victims across England and Wales last year.

Overall, around one in eight women were victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse or stalking last year.

In its election manifesto the Labour Party pledged to halve violence against women and girls – including stalking – within a decade.

The Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently in the House of Lords for second reading, includes measures aimed at strengthening the response to stalking.

It would ensure stalking protection orders can be made in more circumstances, statutory agencies support victims effectively and firmly manage perpetrators, and the Home Secretary can issue statutory guidance on stalking.

Saskia Garner, head of policy and campaigns at the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, warned "stalking remains an underreported and therefore under documented crime".

She said: "Stalking can shatter lives, with 91 per cent of victims experiencing psychological effects and 78 per cent suffering symptoms consistent with PTSD.

"Alarmingly, stalking behaviours were present in the histories of 94 per cent of 358 female homicide cases with male perpetrators."

She added the Trust is urging the Government to publish its new Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and "provide £243.8-million in ring-fenced funding for specialist support services so that no stalking victim falls through the gaps".

Deputy chief constable Sarah Poolman, lead for stalking and harassment at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: "Stalking and harassment can have a devastating impact on victims.

"Policing and the wider criminal justice system must recognise the damage and harm perpetrators cause and protect victims at the earliest opportunity."

She added police forces across England and Wales have action plans in place to "improve their response to stalking", including "taking measures to ensure accurate recording, improving the quality of stalking investigations and maximising protective orders to safeguard victims".

"The behaviour of perpetrators is complex, and prevention and early intervention is crucial to stopping harmful behaviour from escalating, which is why all agencies across society need to work together to protect victims and intercept perpetrators," she said.

The crime survey figures also show 39 per cent of victims of stalking in England and Wales last year were victims of cyber stalking, 22 per cent of stalking by a partner or ex-partner and nine per cent of stalking by a family member.

The Home Office was contacted for comment.