A scheme to support women in public life against online abuse has been extended by Wiltshire Police.

Operation Awake, launched last July in collaboration with the Salisbury Soroptimists, is aimed at providing assistance to women who are victims of abusive emails and social media posts.

The initiative was initially set up for a 12-month trial period.

A review of the first year revealed a small number of complaints, suggesting no significant issues regarding the treatment of women in public life in Wiltshire.

However, Wiltshire Police acknowledged the possibility of unreported cases and has decided to continue with the scheme.

Read more: Body found in Swindon as police cordon off woodland

All elected female councillors in Wiltshire have been contacted and provided with information on how to report gender-based crimes and incidents.

Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Thorne, lead for Violence Against Women and Girls at Wiltshire Police, said: "The continued commitment to Operation Awake is one further step to demonstrate our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls.

"This is something we in Wiltshire Police felt was an essential step to protect those women in public life.

"We want to ensure that those women who are working tirelessly to improve the lives of the communities of Wiltshire do not become victims of crime due to their work in this area or if they do, they have confidence to report that to us."

Read more: Action against domestic abuse and stalking in Wiltshire

Liz Batten of the Soroptimist project group said: "We are pleased that the police have agreed to continue this scheme because we have been told by female councillors that its existence provides reassurance to women in public life that there is a confidential and prompt way they can report any instances of gender abuse, whether by email, social media posts or threatening behaviour.

"We continue to say that it’s not ok to be personally abusive to any woman – but we believe that those women who give of their time and energy to serve their local community deserve to be better protected from this kind of gender-based abuse.

"We are pleased that Wiltshire Police agreed with us that women should be encouraged to report the gender abuse they receive so that enquiries can be made to identify the perpetrators and assess any immediate risk."

Operation Awake is part of a broader strategy by Wiltshire Police to tackle violence against women and girls, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for women in public life.