Jogger's fear after van follows her on remote road

A woman has said she "feared for her life" after being followed by a van while out jogging on a secluded road near Deal.

Kelly Crowd said she was left "shaken" by the incident at Betteshanger and reported it to police.

The route had been one of her favourite places to run after work, but she said the experience made her reluctant to exercise there alone.

"I felt really scared," she said. "The driver had no number plate, which made me even more afraid. I was really afraid for my life."

"I am not scared of people, but that occasion it made me feel shaken and I just wanted to get home quickly and report it to police," said Crowd.

In the South East, efforts have been made to tackle harassment against female runners.

In Kent, women are being encouraged to take part in a monthly evening running group in Ashford led by female police officers.

The scheme is arranged by Kent Police's Ashford Community Safety Unit which aims to help women feel safer running after dark.

A spokesperson for Kent Police said "keeping women and girls safe in the community was a priority".

"We proactively invite women to attend our walk and talk events across the county to raise any concerns with local officers," they added.

"Kent Police also regularly runs Project Vigilant, with plain-clothed and uniformed officers identifying and intervening in suspicious or predatory behaviour by men at night."

Surrey Police has relaunched its Jog On campaign after recording 105 sex-based harassment incidents since new legislation came into effect in April this year.

The force's scheme sees non-uniformed female police officers jogging in hotspot areas in a bid to challenge such behaviours.

Insp Nicola West from Surrey Police said: "No woman or girl should feel intimidated, harassed or unsafe simply because she has chosen to go for a run.

"Jog On is about taking a proactive approach to this behaviour, challenging those responsible and making clear that harassment is not something anyone should have to accept as part of their everyday life."

West said such behaviours included beeping a horn, causing someone to be scared and intimidated, and making comments about someone's appearance.

She added the new legislation sent a clear message that "intentional sex-based harassment could have serious consequences" and that they would take "robust action".

Lisa Townsend, Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner, said educating people about how their behaviour impacted runners was "important" as it could help prevent future incidents from happening.

Surrey Police is urging people to report incidents so officers can identify hotspots and help people feel safer outdoors.

In April, the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023 came into effect.

The offence, which is enforceable by police, carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Surrey on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.