Domestic abuse helpline calls surge in lockdown

New figures reveal that over 40,000 calls and contacts were made to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline during the first three months of lockdown, mostly by women seeking help.

According to Refuge, the charity which runs the helpline, in June 2020 calls and contacts were nearly 80% higher than usual. With restrictions easing, there is now a surge in women seeking safe places to escape their abusers.

If you need to call 999 but it is not safe to speak, here's what to do

The "Silent Solutions" system is used to help the Police decide whether officers are sent out in response to a silent 999 call - thousands of these are made every day. Here's what to do:

• Ring 999 and you will be asked which emergency service you require.
• If you do not say anything, the operator will ask you to cough or indicate in some other way that the call is an emergency.
• If you do not feel safe to make any noise (for example if you do not want to alert someone to your presence) your call will be transferred to a system which asks you to press 55 if your call is an emergency.

If you are affected by domestic abuse, please contact our specialist team in Halifax office on 01422 339 643.