A POLICE campaign to reduce the number of domestic violence incidents over the festive period has been launched.

In Blackburn with Darwen there were over 2,600 incidents reported last year and 11 per cent happened over Christmas.

The new £12,000 campaign in Eastern division, which covers Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, aims to increase the level of crimes being reported to the police by supporting victims and encouraging them to come forward.

Officers will have a number of new tools to tackle the problem.

Rapid response cars crewed by staff with specialist training will be available and there will be patrols of hot-spot areas and checks on high-risk victims.

There will also be the use of video recording at the scene of an incident, to enable prosecutions where the victim is reluctant to attend court and officers will use recently-introduced body-worn cameras when attending incidents.

Det Insp Jim Elston said: "We are pleased to get the extra funding which will help us continue to tackle domestic violence, which does unfortunately increase over the Christmas period.

"We already take a positive stance on domestic violence and I would like to reassure victims that we will continue to support and protect them.

"I would also like to send out a message to perpetrators that we will do all we can to arrest them and bring them before the courts.

"Hopefully the use of our body worn cameras, which we are piloting for the force in Eastern Division, will help us increase prosecutions where the victim is reluctant to attend court."

The domestic violence enforcement campaign is Government-funded. Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley is one of eight areas in the North West to be allocated the £12,000.