The Office for National Statistics has released police recorded crime data on stalking and harassment from last year.

For the first time, figures have been broken down into local levels.

In News Shopper boroughs, Lewisham had the highest; there were 1,579 reported cases of stalking or harassment or malicious communications in 2017, which amounts to an average of more than four a day.

Dartford and Gravesham came second, with 1,481 cases.

Bromley and Greenwich didn’t fare much better, with 1,468 and 1,459 cases respectively.

In Bexley there were more than two cases of stalking or harassment reported every day, 974 in total.

Of the three crimes included in the figures stalking is by far the most serious, and can include following someone, repeatedly going uninvited to their home and monitoring their use of phones and computers.

Charities say the scale of stalking is unknown as it sometimes gets classified as harassment by police forces.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a charity which campaigns to reduce the risk of violence and aggression, said: "We welcome the ONS including stalking and harassment in the recorded offences data.

"However, recording stalking and harassment in the same data set does not give a clear indication of the prevalence of these individual, distinct crimes."

A spokeswoman said that the charity believes that stalking is still being vastly underreported, as there is a huge disparity between the recorded crime statistics and the ONS' more reliable national figures - the Crime Survey of England and Wales.

The ONS advises these changes could be down to improved reporting by the police.

Katie Ghose, chief executive of Women's Aid, said: "From our work with survivors, we know that many women experience stalking as part of an ongoing pattern of controlling and abusive behaviour after leaving an abusive partner.

"All too often abuse that does not leave bruises is not taken seriously enough. These acts are often not seen as harmful as physical abuse when isolated yet together they create a life filled with threats, a life lived in fear."

The Government is currently passing a Stalking Protection Bill, and has said it is giving £4.1 million to the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to better educate police officers about stalking and harassment.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "Stalking can have terrifying consequences, which is why this Government is working to protect victims and stop perpetrators at the earliest opportunity."

The bill will create new civil Stalking Protection Orders to help victims earlier.

These orders will make it possible to intervene in cases before concerning behaviours become entrenched and escalate in severity, especially in cases of 'stranger stalking'.

Breaching the order could result in up to five years in prison.