PLEA TO ACT OVER ABUSE OF TRAPPED WOMEN

Charity boss: refuges need £600m

- BY DAVE BURKE Political Correspondent

LABOUR must tackle Britain's refuge crisis if it is to halve violence against women and girls, a charity boss has warned.

Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women's Aid, told us that tens of thousands are trapped sharing homes with thugs because of a lack of spaces and shrinking services.

Refuges have a first refusal rate of more than 60% because they are unable to cope with demand, she said.

Ms Nazeer called the situation “dire” and urged ministers to commit £600million to put this right.

She said: “If you know that the likelihood is you're not going to be able to get into a refuge, what do you do?