DOMESTIC violence in East Lancashire falls under the TV spotlight tonight.

The country's first specialist Public Protection Unit, to clamp down on paedophiles, sex offenders and domestic violence, is the focus on ITVs Tonight with Trevor McDonald at 8pm.

The programme will concentrate on the issue of domestic violence, an area which causes the police a huge challenge, and includes footage of officers attending incidents in and around Blackburn.

The PPU, based at Accrington police station but covering the whole of East Lancashire, houses family protection, domestic violence and high-risk sex offender units under the same roof. Police in Lancashire believe the facility makes the force one of the best in the country at tackling dangerous offenders because the three units can work closely together.

Det Insp Neil Hunter, who heads the Accrington-based unit and featured in tonight's documentary along with members of his team, said the scheme had had a huge effect on the safety of society in East Lancashire where the scheme had created a successful method for monitoring 'risk' offenders.

He added: "I don't like to say never can anyone be missed but this has created a way that these offenders are monitored on a daily basis and with all the different agencies many will struggle to not be known to us."

After a review six months into the scheme, which was set up in October 2003, the idea was found to be the way forward and was planned to be introduced into other areas of Lancashire.

Det Insp Hunter said the scheme had set up a platform for the protection of the public from potentially harmful people for the next five to 10 years with the potential for further improvements.

Probation, social services, health, education and domestic violence support groups work together sharing information with some based at the £100,000 refurbished station on a regular basis. They seek to provide police with all the information on each individual who may cause a threat to members of the public.