POLICE officers in the eastern area of Suffolk arrest 10 people every week for domestic violence related offences, new figures reveal.Between April and December last year, officers in towns such as Lowestoft, Leiston and Woodbridge dealt with a total of 413 reports of domestic violence - and made 360 arrests.

By Danielle Nuttall

POLICE officers in the eastern area of Suffolk arrest 10 people every week for domestic violence related offences, new figures reveal.

Between April and December last year, officers in towns such as Lowestoft, Leiston and Woodbridge dealt with a total of 413 reports of domestic violence - and made 360 arrests.

The figures are revealed in a policing progress report to Suffolk Police Authority, which will be discussed at a meeting on Friday .

It comes days after Suffolk Constabulary announced it is to hold a number of drop-in centres in Waveney to help support victims of domestic violence.

Steve Jones, supervisor of the victim care team based in east Suffolk, put the recent high level of domestic violence arrests down to the new victim care centre, which opened in Lowestoft last year to offer support to victims and encourage them to report incidents.

“There have always been high incidents of domestic violence in this area and those figures reflect that,” he said.

“I would like to think the fact is down to creating the new victim care centre. We opened in June last year so really it's not too far away from those figures.

“The constabulary has been putting more resources into dealing with victims and encouraging them to come forward.

“We should wherever possible take positive action wherever there is a criminal offence. I would like to think those figures reflect the positive action officers have taken in safeguarding victims of domestic violence.”

Mr Jones said the county had seen the number of reported incidents of domestic crime rise by about 15% but this was due to proactive methods of getting victims to come forward.

“It's very much pro-active policing and getting the message across to report offenders. If you continue to abuse your partner and the police have the means to deal with it, we will deal with it,” he said.

“We are committed to protecting victims. We will take positive action wherever we can.”

Drop-in sessions will be held at the Quaker Meeting Rooms at 15 Smallgate, Beccles, on Fridays and at the Waveney Women's Health Information Centre at 21 Milton Road East, Lowestoft, on Tuesdays on selected dates in January, February, March and April.

Sessions at the Quaker Meeting Rooms will be held on January 27, February 24, March 31 and April 28 while those at Waveney Women's Health Information Centre will be on February 21 and April 18.

The sessions are designed to give anyone who may be subject to domestic violence the opportunity to come in to talk to someone about their experiences and to get help and advice on what can be done.