THE Government has said the law around upskirting is “under review” amid fresh calls to make the craze a specific criminal offence.

The first official figures on the practice – which often sees perpetrators taking photographs or videos of a victim’s groin area from under their clothing – show complainants as young as 10, with only one-third of police forces in England and Wales having any data on the prevalence of upskirting.

Campaigners say existing laws for voyeurism, public decency and public order to not provide enough scope for a conviction, with many victims concerned about access to justice.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “This behaviour is a violation of privacy and causes considerable distress for victims. Prosecutors have a range of powers to deal with these cases. We continue to keep legislation under constant review to ensure we can bring offenders to justice.”

Campaigners say the situation echoes that of image-based sexual abuse – often referred to as revenge porn – which lingered in a legal grey area until a law was introduced in April 2015 following a national campaign.

Clare McGlynn, professor of law at Durham University and an expert on sexual violence, said: “The Government’s response is still wholly inadequate. There is sufficient evidence on which the Government can make a decision to change the law. That’s what victims want and are expecting.”