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Louise Minchin and daughter Mia detail horrifying stalking ordeal for the first time - 'I was in floods of tears'

The mother-and-daughter duo will appear on ITV on Thursday

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Sharnaz Shahid
Deputy Online Editor
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Louise Minchin and her daughter Mia have spoken for the first time about the former BBC Breakfast journalist's horrifying stalking ordeal.

MORE: Louise Minchin expresses 'pain and anguish' in heartfelt statement

The broadcaster's stalker was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison in December 2021, he was also handed an indefinite restraining order.

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Mia, who was managing the accounts at the time, read many of the threats against both herself and her mum.

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Speaking exclusively to ITV's Tonight programme, 19-year-old Mia recalled: "I'm logged into mum's Instagram account and suddenly loads of messages started coming. They were all kind of just really offensive, calling us not very nice names and then they got much more graphic.

"It was the kind of actions that he wanted to do against me and mum, which got really personal and they weren't nice to read at all." She added: "I was kind of terrified, all kinds of shaking. I think my heart was beating really fast. I didn't sleep all night. The entirety of the next day I was in floods of tears."

Sharing her horror, Louise explained: "It was very clear from the messages that this person knew exactly where we lived and had stood outside our front door. To say I was frightened, just doesn't really touch the surface.

louise minchin itv doc© Photo: ITV

Louise has spoken about her stalking ordeal

"You are kind of on this high state of alert all the time. You don't know who they are. So, you don't know that that person standing next to you isn't them."

Mia has noticed her behaviour has changed following the stalking. She said: "When I'm walking, I'm very conscious of who is behind me, especially not to have my headphones in if it's dark and there's no one else around."

Almost one in five women and almost one in ten men over the age of 16 in the UK have experienced stalking, as advisors at the National Stalking Helpline, run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, took over 14,000 calls in 2021 - more than ever before.

The one-off programme investigates the thousands of victims of stalking in the UK, as Louise asks if enough is being done to tackle the crime.

You can watch ITV Tonight - Louise Minchin: The Truth About Stalking, Thursday 10th March, 8:30pm, on ITV or catch-up on ITV Hub.

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