There were more than 850 arrests for domestic abuse in Swindon over a six-month period.

Data obtained from Wiltshire Police by the Adver in a Freedom of Information request has revealed that 858 arrests for domestic abuse were made between March and September 2023.

This compared to 1,223 arrests for the same crime in Wiltshire. There were 3,315 reports in Swindon and 4,747 reports in Wiltshire.

Domestic abuse figures have risen since before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Wiltshire Police.

Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service explained that they were not surprised by the figures and that they expect the real figures to be higher than what the data has revealed.

A spokesperson for SDASS said: “We are not surprised by this data and calls to our helpline remain consistently high.

“We know that the true numbers of people experiencing domestic abuse are likely to be higher than the data tells us.  

“We know that victims of domestic abuse are often worried about supporting police action as they are worried about further abuse from their abuser as they can’t see how they can leave. 

“We can work with victims to plan the safest way for them to leave an abusive relationship, working with partner agencies and, if necessary, finding them a refuge space elsewhere in the country.”

DCI Gemma Vinton said: “Over the last 12 months we have seen a slight decrease in the number of domestic abuse crimes reported to us, but they are still higher than the number we saw before pre-Covid.

“This type of abuse is never acceptable, and we encourage anyone who is a victim of domestic abuse to report to us – we will take the report of your crime very seriously and you can have confidence in us that it will be dealt with robustly.”

Information for support regarding domestic abuse can be accessed here.

Queen Camilla visited a SDASS refuge last week to celebrate the charity's 50-year anniversary. She unveiled a plaque, before visiting one of the town’s oldest businesses.

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: "Domestic abuse can take many forms including violence, coercive control and harassment and stalking.

"We know that many victims of domestic abuse continue to suffer in silence, and that the reports Wiltshire Police receive only represent a small part of the real picture.”