'I was followed by a van while running'
BBCA woman from Kidderminster has said she was followed by a vehicle and harassed in broad daylight while running.
She shared her experience as West Mercia Police launched an initiative in the town called Jog On, which sees female officers sent out dressed as runners to identify cases of assault, catcalling, or sexually suggestive comments.
The force said it was to show that the behaviours were not acceptable, and to encourage bystanders to support victims and challenge perpetrators.
"[A van] beeped its horn twice and moved on... then came back. It pulled up really close to me, followed me along the road... shouting things out the window at me," said runner Charlotte Moseley.
"It wasn't actually until I pointed out it's a branded vehicle, I can see where you work, that they then moved on," she told the BBC.
The scheme began in Kidderminster in February, with running clubs in Herefordshire and Worcestershire also being visited by officers.
Det Insp Liz Warner said she was aware Jog On had been done in other forces and wanted to bring it to West Mercia.
"I'm not out there running, inviting attention because I want somebody to comment on my body or my physique or the way I'm running or how I look," she told the BBC.
"I'm out there running because I want to enjoy the space, I want to get fit, I want to look after my mental health and it shouldn't be part and parcel of that occasion.
"It's about saying: 'I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it for me and I do not accept the fact that you want to interrupt my time that I should be enjoying and feeling safe'."
She said stops of vehicles who had harassed the officers running had all contained lone men.
"We thought it would be two or three up in the vehicle where they'd be having that banter and a bit of a laugh between them," she said.
"It's all been lone males, which for me is quite sinister."
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