Online abuse: 'existing laws too fragmented and don’t serve victims'

Chief constable Stephen Kavanagh says scale of abuse could overwhelm police, as MPs prepare to introduce bill to update law

The chief constable leading the fight against digital crime is calling for new legislation to tackle an "unimagined scale of online abuse" that he says is threatening to overwhelm the police service.

Stephen Kavanagh, who heads Essex police, argues it is necessary to consolidate and simplify offences committed online to improve the chance of justice for tens of thousands of victims.