AN initiative has been launched to combat domestic violence in Darlington.

The Darlington Domestic Violence Forum has joined forces with the local authority and Durham police to unveil the Get on Board bus advertising campaign.

The campaign, which will run for six months, involves high profile posters on the back and interior of buses.

It is hoped that the posters, featuring a photograph of Durham Chief Constable George Hedges, will raise public awareness of the issues surrounding domestic violence and make it clear that it is a crime.

The Darlington Domestic Violence Forum is particularly hopeful that it will lead to more people reporting incidents of violence in the home.

Forum co-ordinator Claire Seymour said domestic violence was still very much a hidden crime, with many people unwilling to report it to police for fear of getting their partners into trouble.

"I don't think we have seen more than the tip of the iceberg yet, but initiatives like this will, hopefully, help to raise awareness of domestic violence," she said.

"We hear from women who have experienced domestic violence for decades and it can be horrendous.

"We hope the campaign will encourage people to seek help and stop the feeling of isolation that domestic violence can bring."

From April last year to the end of March this year, 382 women and 12 men rang the domestic violence helpline. Police received 1,416 reports of domestic violence in the Darlington area in that period.

Durham Chief Constable George Hedges said: "Domestic violence forms part of our violent crime statistics, and if they increase that is actually a success, because it means more incidents are being reported."

To coincide with the launch of the campaign, Darlington Domestic Violence Forum has started a one-month online discussion group on its website.

People who log on to http://ddvf.org. will be able to discuss specific matters relating to domestic violence and their experiences. The domestic violence helpline number is (01325) 364486.