I escaped the horror of domestic abuse - now I want to help others do the same

Lancashire County Council is to create a role dedicated to tackling violence against - and control of - women and girls.

- by Paul Faulkner

The Reform UK-run authority voted unanimously to establish the 'member champion' post during a meeting at which one councillor put herself forward for the role - because of her own experience of domestic abuse.

County Coun Maria Jones told the full council gathering how she had endured several years of having her life controlled by her now former husband.

The Reform representative for the Preston Rural division said she wanted to help "many more women survive like I did".

The call for a member dedicated to the issue came from Labour opposition councillor Samara Barnes - herself a domestic abuse survivor, as she had previously revealed in the County Hall chamber back in 2021.

She noted that there had been support for the role when the county council set its budget under the previous Conservative administration in February.

County Coun Barnes said that while violence against women girls had risen up the list of both council and police priorities - and that the county authority had "some brilliant teams doing serious work" - their efforts were still too "fragmented".