My daughter Alice loved Newcastle and lived in Gateshead when she was cruelly murdered by an ex-partner who stalked her. By taking part in the run l also experience the friendliness and generosity of the people who live there and in some strange way gives me just a little connection back to Alice.

Alice never really thought that her stalker was dangerous and probably did not even identify him as a stalker. She just thought he was an ex-partner who would not go away. To professionals who work in the stalking world, he would be clearly identified as fixated, obsessive and dangerous. The mission of the Alice Ruggles Trust is to bridge the gap between the professionals and the general public, so that we all understand how abhorrent and dangerous stalking really is. We aim to ensure that all pupils leaving school will have this knowledge and we hope that in 15 years time, stalkers will not only be looked upon with the same contempt that drunk-drivers currently are, but will always be dealt with promptly and efficiently by a well informed criminal justice service.