Staffordshire Newsletter (Stone Edition)

Bar withdraws 4.30am licence plan

- Kerry Ashdown Local Democracy Reporter

COMPLAINTS about stalking and harassment are on the rise in Staffordsh­ire. Latest Office for National Statistics data shows Staffordsh­ire Police recorded a 13 per cent rise in cases in the 12 months to last September – the third highest in England.

Staffordsh­ire Police say they take incidents of stalking and harassment ‘very seriously.’

But victims have criticised the force’s reaction to their complaints.

One woman started performing adult content on OnlyFans during the coronaviru­s pandemic.

She said: “One of my subscriber­s sent me a message and used my real name as well as my mum’s real name and her profession and the street I lived on. He said I had told him the informatio­n on a night out when I was drunk, but I never get drunk enough to forget my nights when I go out and he refused to tell me his real name because it’s a username on Only Fans.

“The other thing was we had just moved house so if I had somehow told him my address on a night out then it would have been my old street name as I moved just over a month before we went into lockdown. He threatened to knock on every door in the street and rape me and my mum if he got the address right.

“He was saying nasty and rude comments to me and sexualisin­g my appearance, describing my breasts as ‘fairy cakes.’ I was scared for both my own and my mum’s safety, so I contacted Staffordsh­ire Police.

“I sent them screenshot­s of the messages as well as the user ID and username of the subscriber who had sent them. I said to the police that because he would have had to

A STAFFORD town centre bar’s bid to stay open until 4.30am at weekends has been withdrawn.

Revolution, just a few metres from Stafford Borough Council’s Civic Centre in Riverside, currently closes at 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, 1am on Fridays, 11pm Monday to Wednesday and 10pm on Sundays.

A request to extend the hours for licensable activities until 4am at weekends and bank holidays was submitted to the council earlier this year.

It proposed a later closing time of 4.30am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the venue, which has Stafford Borough Council as its landlord. link his bank details to access my account in the first place, surely they could get in touch with Only Fans and track him down through either his bank details or IP address.

“After a few weeks, the police said they couldn’t find him and closed the case. I couldn’t sleep for months and I felt unsafe. We had CCTV installed around the house and I stopped creating content for Only Fans as I was scared about it happening again.” Staffordsh­ire Police have outlined the support that is available to stalking victims.

Detective Inspector Victoria Ison, left, said: “We take reports of stalking and harassment in Staffordsh­ire very seriously. We understand the devastatin­g impact stalking can have on victims and their families.

“We continue to do everything we can to bring those responsibl­e to justice. We have seen better identifica­tion of stalking and harassment through mandatory training of frontline staff and numerous internal and external campaigns to raise awareness of the types of behaviour that fall under stalking and harassment; and to encourage reporting of such behaviour.

“Changes to how we record antisocial behaviour have also seen an expected increase in other crime types, including stalking and harassment. Crime data integrity inspection­s by His Majesty’s Inspectora­te of Constabula­ry and Fire & Rescue Services

The applicatio­n was due to be considered by the borough council’s Licensing Sub-Committee on Thursday, April 11. The hearing was cancelled after the applicatio­n was withdrawn.

A report to the Licensing SubCommitt­ee said: “A relevant representa­tion has been received from one of the responsibl­e authoritie­s, namely Staffs Police Licensing Unit, during the consultati­on period of this applicatio­n which ended on 18 March 2024. The representa­tion relates to two of the licensing objectives, the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety.

“Stafford Borough Council are the landlord of the premises.”

Revolution Bars Group declined to comment after being approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. show this to be a common issue nationally.

“If you, or someone you know, is experienci­ng stalking and harassment, please contact us so we can take robust action against offenders. This can include the use of stalking protection orders following arrest. These safeguard victims while we investigat­e the crime and gather evidence, enabling the suspect to be charged and prosecuted.

“Our specially-trained officers are on hand to support victims and we work closely with external agencies that provide emotional support and practical help to victims. Anyone with concerns about stalking should message us through our Live Chat function on our website, or call 101. You should always call 999 in an emergency.”

Alex Mayes, external affairs manager at Victim Support, added: “If you are experienci­ng obsessive, unwanted or repeated attention that is making you feel anxious or afraid, then you are a victim of stalking. Stalking can take place in person, over the internet or on social media – known as cyberstalk­ing – and it can happen over an incredibly long period of time, making it particular­ly hard to cope with. All victims of stalking need to know that this is not something you should have to live with. Get in touch with Victim Support by visiting our website – we can offer help and advice, as well as signpostin­g you to the right support services in your area.”

■ To get help with stalking and harassment, contact Victim Support on 0808 1689 111.

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Revolution bar at Riverside, Stafford.
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