Police chiefs have sparked fury after undercover officers posed as joggers to catch men catcalling women - with campaigners branding it a 'nightmarish' clampdown on free speech.
Activists have argued police should be using their resources to tackle criminal activity such as knife crime and theft - not 'prowling the streets in search of lawful but disapproved remarks'.
It comes after Surrey Police sent two officers out running at rush hour to show the scale of harassment that women are facing.
A spokesman for the force said of the patrols: 'These behaviours may not be criminal offences in themselves, but they need to be addressed.'
Condemning the crackdown, The Free Speech Union said: 'Britain is in the grip of a surge in serious crime. In the year to March 2025, shoplifting rose 20 per cent, theft from the person climbed 15 per cent , and robberies topped 78,000.
