THOUGH there is some evidence that incidents of domestic violence frequently increase when major national events are taking place and sometimes when alcohol is involved, police say the World Cup poses no significant threat.

But in a special poster campaign being launched across Lancashire they are seizing on the immense interest in the global soccer contest in a bid to make people more alert to the problem of domestic violence.

The posters all have a football theme and have such slogans as: "Blow the whistle on domestic violence" and "Don't make you child a referee."

And coupled with the campaign, the police initiatives during the World Cup include having a domestic violence officer on duty during the televised coverage of potential flashpoint matches.

How much difference this approach will make is hard to say. But if, through tapping into the high-level of awareness of the World Cup contest, it brings extra attention to violence in the home and increases the willingness of people to report it, then it will have a scored a welcome success.

This is because the problem is so immense, yet is often kept hidden from sight. Last year, more than 22,000 people were involved in domestic incidents in Lancashire and police believe many more probably went unreported.

That amounts to a distressing toll of pain, anguish and anger that really ought not to be endured and the determination of the police for it not to be tolerated is both necessary and welcome. But, equally vital, is the need for the public and, above all, victims of this violence to co-operate with them and report every incident.

As, the police rightly say, just because domestic violence happens out of sight and involves people who know each other, it does not make it any less of a crime. And because it is a distressing crime that is all too common, every effort should be made to show it the red card.