People are being urged to donate old mobile phones as part of a campaign to prevent domestic abuse.

The Donate a Phone Save A Life campaign is being run by the Chorley and South Ribble Domestic Abuse Forum in conjunction with the Body Shop and national domestic abuse charity, Women's Aid.

The phones will be transformed into personal alarms using the latest technology and will provide a free one touch dial service to 999.

The 16 day campaign will be launched on Friday, November 25, by Chorley Mayor, Councillor Marie Gray, who will donate the first phone into the collecting bin at Chorley Borough Council offices in Union Street.

The campaign will later see hundreds of pink balloons released into the air carrying the message Domestic Abuse Must Stop. This event will be at Leyland Methodist Church Hall, Turpin Green Lane, Leyland on December 10, the final day of the International Domestic Violence Campaign.

Janet Whalley, domestic abuse project coordinator, said: "It all about raising awareness.

"By increasing awareness it makes people more aware about a crime people do often not know a lot about and it is letting people out there know that help is there if they need it."

o Do not forget you can help victims of domestic abuse by giving to the Citizen's Tins and Toys Appeal to collect food and toys for those spending the festive season in Chorley Women's Refuge.

Donations of new and unwrapped gifts, toys and tinned/non-perishable foods, within their sell-by date, can be made at the Chorley Citizen offices, 45/47 Pall Mall, Chorley.