The Ministry of Justice is "looking seriously" at making upskirting a criminal offence, a campaigner has told Sky News.

Upskirting is the practice of taking a picture up someone's skirt without them knowing.

It is happening to girls as young as 10, police have said.

Gina Martin began a petition calling for a change in the law after being targeted at a festival. She has gathered almost 100,000 signatures.

Following a "really positive meeting" with the justice department, which is "really listening", things are looking positive, she said.


"We took them through the details of the legislation, and they're really looking seriously at this now, which is really exciting," Ms Martin told Sky's Sarah-Jane Mee.

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Image: Gina Martin says the Justice Department is 'really listening'

Yesterday, Justice Secretary David Gauke told MPs he was "sympathetic" to calls for further action, and is keen to ensure the law is "fit for purpose".

At the moment, Ms Martin explained, upskirting is prosecuted under "outraging public decency".

She added: "Effectively, we slap a public nuisance order on a sexual offence, and those (two things) struggle to fit.

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"It's notoriously difficult to prosecute with that because public nuisance disorders are something you use if someone is urinating in a field, or something similar. It just doesn't fit when you're talking about a sexual offence.

"The word upskirting doesn't really exist in law at the moment in England and Wales".

Mr Gauke told the Commons: "I share the outrage at the distress that this intrusive behaviour can cause to victims and I'm determined to ensure that victims have confidence that their complaints will be taken seriously.

"I am sympathetic to the calls to change the law and my officials are reviewing the current law to make sure it is fit for purpose."