Women in the UK can take action against sexual harassment on public transport under public decency laws

In the UK, public decency laws may be applied to similar cases of people who take invasive photos without consent. In 2011, a 50-year-old man was given a three-year community order after being caught by British Transport Police taking photos up women's skirts on the London Underground.

The man, Robert Bayliss, was also issued with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order to prevent him from carrying any kind of photographic equipment on the whole of the railway network for five years.

Campaigns against harassment on public transport such as Hollaback and Everyday Sexism have also pushed through a change in the way police in the UK deal with such offences. In 2013, Project Guardian was launched on London's transport networks to encourage victims of sexual assault and harassment to come forward. Around 200 extra officers were deployed to stations around the capital to launch the crackdown.

"We hope this will send a message to everyone that we will not tolerate this behaviour," a statement from British Transport Police read at the time. "We want women to feel confident that they will be listened to and their complaints will all be taken seriously."

What do you think? Is enough being done to combat sexual harrassment on public transport in the UK? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @stylistmagazine

Words: Anna Brech, Photos: Rex Features

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