Cumbria Police, together with a range of other agencies, are working to keep victims of domestic abuse safe following concerns that victims may be increasingly vulnerable due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Since the beginning of April, police and agencies including Victim Support, Cumbria County Council’s Adult Social Care, NSPCC and health services have been hosting domestic abuse surgeries twice weekly on the Cumbria Police Facebook page. The aim of these surgeries is to encourage victims or anyone worried about a relative, friend, neighbour or colleague to come forward and ask questions they may have relating to domestic abuse to practitioners.

The panel of safeguarding experts involved in the surgeries have so far supported numerous victims who have come forward seeking support. This success has led to the surgeries being established as a regular event. The surgeries, which are held every Monday and Wednesday between 11am and 1pm, are also hosted on the Cumbria Police Instagram page.

Detective Chief Inspector Dan St Quintin said: “As soon as we were aware that the country could be going into lockdown, we thought about how this could impact on those who suffer from abuse. We came up with the idea of a campaign which included the live surgeries so we could try and reach as many victims as possible.

“I would like to say a huge thank you for the support we have had from partner agencies. I also want to emphasise that the Constabulary prioritises supporting victims of abuse and that we are still very much here to help throughout this pandemic. I would urge victims to come forward and for the public to report any concerns they have to us by calling 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.”

To find out further information about the surgeries please visit the Cumbria Police Facebook page

More information on services available to domestic abuse victims can be found on the Cumbria Police website and Cumbria Police Instagram