AN INQUIRY into sexual harassment and abuse is to be launched by one of Oxfordshire's MPs and the leaders of support charities.

Nicola Blackwood, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, said the panel would seek to hear evidence about what can be done to tackle common types of harassment, such as 'catcalling', as well as more serious incidents.

She will be joined on the panel by Sarah Green, co-director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, Lisa Ward, director of the Oxfordshire Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre and Charlotte Semler, a mother and businesswoman, as well as others yet to be confirmed.

They will ask officials from the police, social services, universities and charities about how harassment and sexual abuse can be prevented more effectively.

Ms Blackwood said: "All of us in Oxford are aware of the challenges that we face here, in terms of the abuse and harassment.

"We can point to the cases that have shaken our community – whether that is the Bullfinch scandal or the case of Jayden Parkinson – including the serious cases of rape and sexual assault.

"It all paints a picture very much like the one I hear in my surgeries, where parents and teachers are telling me this is not the kind of environment our young people should be growing up in.

"It needs to change and there are things being done by the police, councils and other authorities to try and change it.

"The point of this inquiry will be to look at all these different measures as a whole, so we can understand what is being done and what different organisations think is working.

"In our findings we can then address the problems more effectively and equip our young people properly for what is an increasingly sexualised culture, as well as help them form relationships and feel safe."

Ms Green added: "It's very important to have a conversation about abuse and harassment, particularly the amount faced by young women, to look at what happens, where it happens and what its consequences are.

"That way you can talk about ways it can be tackled differently – such as new reporting schemes for harassment being trialled by police in Nottingham – which allow you to build a better picture of what is actually happening.

"Too many examples are currently minimised or dismissed."

Ms Blackwood, who formerly chaired the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, said the inquiry's 'terms of reference' – the limits of what it will look into – were still being decided.

But it is likely to issue a call for written evidence in early April, with a series of hearings following in the months afterwards.

Ms Blackwood stressed the inquiry was not just seeking expert opinions, but also the human experiences of people affected by sexual harassment and abuse.

She added: "We absolutely want to encourage people to come forward, to hear their experiences and to hear what they think could be done better.

"If someone wants to share their story but not publicly, however, they need to make that clear in their evidence."

The hearings would be followed by a final report in the autumn, which would be presented to the Government, she added.