Council, police and health officials have joined forces in the fight to stamp out the growing problem of domestic abuse in Blackpool.

More than 100 representatives from Blackpool Council, Lancashire Constabulary, the Crown Prosecution Service and Blackpool NHS trusts signed-up as members of the Blackpool Domestic Abuse Partnership last month.

The partnership, which also features representatives from schools and voluntary organisations such as Fylde Coast Women's Aid, aims to provide practical support for families living in the shadow of abuse in the home as well as introducing greater measures to bring those responsible to justice.

It follows calls from government to prioritise support for victims of domestic violence, as well as recent police reports that, with 4,028 cases logged, the borough of Blackpool accounted for more than 16 per cent of domestic violence incidents across Lancashire in 2005 alone.

A series of changes to the law have also resulted in police and the judicial system taking a far more serious approach to domestic abuse as well as the introduction of specialist courts to deal with individual cases.

Cllr Sue Wright, Blackpool Council's social services, community safety and health cabinet member, said: "It's taken a long time for people to talk openly about this subject and the launch of this partnership demonstrates that we in Blackpool take very seriously the blight of domestic abuse, which not only affects women of any age, but children and men"

The partnership is now looking to introduce initiatives including the appointment of a domestic abuse policy co-ordinator, the distribution of packs in schools and changes to council tenancy agreements which could see domestic abusers evicted from their rented property.