Leeds domestic abuse services "absolutely there" for victims - West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson

Amid fears that the increases in domestic incidents that were seen during previous lockdowns will be replicated again, West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner has joined charities and other support organisations to share the message that there is still help at hand.

Mark Burns-Williamson said: "There's absolutely support there for them if they need that. I did note in the comments that were made in the Prime Minister's statement last night that one of the reasons for leaving a household can be if they are a victim or abuse domestically.

"There will still be the ability in those situations for up to 15 people to come together to meet with organisations - in a Covid-secure way, of course - to receive levels of support they may require."

The latest statement marked a change from the first lockdown where the exemption for domestic abuse victims was only spelled out after concerns were raised about the impact of restrictions on various at-risk groups and the full implications of being confined to our homes became clearer.

As previously reported by the YEP, many charities went on to say they had seen a surge in demand for services during the first lockdown, while police forces also noted an increase in calls related to domestic abuse.

Three months into that lockdown, Safer Leeds chief officer Paul Money said reported incidents of domestic abuse in the city had risen from around 60 per day to 70 per day since restrictions were first imposed.

And while police figures released later that month showed overall crime reports in West Yorkshire were down by 23 per cent, reported incidents of domestic abuse and violence were up by 6.2 per cent - more than the four per cent rise seen nationally.

West Yorkshire Police has stressed throughout the pandemic that the issue remains a priority for its officers who still have the capability to respond, particularly in an emergency.

Acknowledging the potential for another such spike in demand, Mr Burns-Williamson: "We know the current situation as we head into a further lockdown will exacerbate that. We all know that instinctively. It's why we're working so hard to let people know there's support out there for them."

One key programme his office commissions is the Victim Support service for West Yorkshire, which is open to all victims of crime.

Mr Burns-Williamson said: "We know that sometimes people don't necessarily want to call the police directly in the first instance - that's why it's really important that they're aware of the details for Victim Support."

Through its website - www.victimsupport.org.uk/ - and its helpline, it can help to direct them to other services and organisations on hand to help.

And many of those other services have adapted since the first lockdown to provide more comprehensive telephone or online support at times when they cannot operate as usual.

"In some ways they've been able to talk to a lot more people rather than doing it through a normal face-to-face," Mr Burns-Williamson said.

"But where we've got situations where people actually do have to leave the house then it's important to be able to meet in a face-to-face setting - in a Covid-secure way - to have that interaction with specialist support services.

"There is help and support for them despite the Covid situation that we all find ourselves in. The overwhelming message is there is professional support and services there to help."

The Victim Support team in West Yorkshire can be contacted on 0300 303 1971 (Monday to Saturday, 8am-8pm), while the charity's Support Line is available outside of hours on 08 08 16 89 111.

More information on support services can be found on the Police and Crime Commisioner's website and the Leeds City Council website.

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