JUST three people in the region are known to have been charged under new domestic violence laws in the six months since they came into force, new research has revealed.

Cleveland Police reported just two people charged under the new 'Coercive Control' laws between December 2015 and June 2016 while in County Durham there was just one.

North Yorkshire and Northumbria Police did not respond to Freedom of Information requests made by law firm, Simpson Millar.

The new law came into force on December 29 as part of the Serious Crime Act 2015 which made controlling or coercive behaviour in intimate or familial relationships became a specific offence, potentially attracting a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Emma Pearmaine, head of family services at Simpson Miller, is calling for increased awareness and understanding of the new laws, so that victims can lead safer lives.

Helen Murphy, Durham Constabulary’s safeguarding manager, said that the new law can not be used for allegations dating before December 29, last year.

She said: "Frontline officers from Durham Constabulary received innovative training to provide officers with the expertise to spot the signs of coercion and control.

"Durham Constabulary works with a number of agencies to raise awareness of domestic abuse under the 'Sorry’s Not Enough' campaign.

"We also provide free domestic abuse awareness training to employers of any size in Durham and Darlington to enable them to support any employee who may be a victim of abuse.”

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said the first successful conviction came in June when a Billingham man was sentenced under the new ruling but added that gathering evidence can be difficult.

She said: "Our officers are fully trained to look at the broader picture when dealing with incidents of domestic violence and we take all such reports extremely seriously."