NEEDING the services of a solicitor for legal help would be daunting enough for most of us. But imagine if you were in a relationship with an abusive partner and needed help – but couldn’t afford it and were not entitled to legal aid.

When a friend of Dr Steve Connor’s was in that very situation, he couldn’t believe there was no help available.

Dr Connor said: “I just kept feeling that this must be able to be sorted, if only someone would address it.” That “someone” turned out to be him.

A year later, he formed the National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) and the charity has now joined forces with West Mercia Police.

People in Worcestershire can contact the NCDV to access free legal help and obtain a civil injunction against an abusive partner.

Dr Connor said: “Some people may have access to free legal advice through a solicitor or may have access to funds to pay for it.

“Often people can’t afford to pay, particularly if they are the victim of an abusive partner who controls the finances. That’s exactly where we can help.

“Our service is free of charge – it doesn’t matter whether they are working or not and is open to male and female victims.

“If someone wants to apply for an injunction against an abusive partner, they can come to us 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Dr Connor explained how the year-long injunctions are civil orders, similar to Asbos, where it is a criminal offence to breach them.

The maximum penalty for a breach is five years in prison.

A launch event was held at West Mercia Police headquarters at Hindlip, near Worcester, this week when solicitors and other support agencies were invited to learn more about the scheme.

Dr Connor said it should help victims to feel less daunted about seeking legal help.

He added: “It means we can go to court get the order then serve it on the respondent. It’s then legally active and we can work with the police to make sure it isn’t breached.”

The injunctions are different to restraining orders, which usually are the result of a criminal conviction.

Dr Connor said: “The injunctions are more proactive and can prevent serious offences from occurring in the first place. It means the problem can be nipped in the bud at an early stage.”

Det Supt Martin Lakeman, head of public protection at West Mercia, said the service would make a real difference to victims.

He said: “Dealing with domestic abuse has always been a priority for West Mercia Police.

“But this seemed like the perfect time to develop a partnership looking at providing further support.” Det Supt Lakeman said there were about 20,000 domestic abuse incidents in West Mercia last year – a 23 per cent increase over the past four years.

He said: “We don’t think the crime itself is increasing. We see it as a positive that more people are having the confidence to report it and we want to encourage even more people to report it.

“It is about working together in partnerships such as this to allow that to happen.

“Many victims will suffer up to 35 times before they call the police.

We don’t want them to suffer in silence.

“In eight out of nine incidents in West Mercia, officers take positive action – in simple terms, that means locking someone up.

“But that is just the start of the process. A lot of victims may not wish to proceed down the criminal route but there are still agencies which can support them.

“An arrest isn’t always what is required.”

Det Supt Lakeman said the impact of domestic violence could be devastating and was an issue being tackled every day throughout the force.

“It destroys families, so it is a core priority for us,” he said “There is more work to be done and that is highlighted by the launch of this service.

“It’s the role of every officer, it is embedded in our local policing priorities. You can’t do public protection without local policing.

“They are the eyes and ears, managing the public on a day-today basis.

“Fifteen years ago there was a culture of, ‘It’s just another domestic’ but that culture doesn’t exist within West Mercia.

“We have been recognised as one of the best police forces at protecting vulnerable people and we take a lot of pride in that.”

To access help from the charity, call 0844 8044 999 or text NCDV to 60777. For more information or to make a referral online, visit ncdv.org.uk.