DOMESTIC abuse has been called the 'shadow pandemic' as cases continue to spiral as households face up to tough Covid restrictions.

A police chief said his force had dealt with 1,682 domestic abuse cases in December and charities supporting victims fear this is only the tip of the iceberg.

My Sisters Place is anticipating another deluge of cases to come to light when restrictions are lifted.

Lesley Storey, the charity's head of service, said: "This is not just about the number of people suffering domestic abuse, it is about the depth of the problem.

"We are seeing people who suffered coercive control being caught in a worse position than before. Some of the things that we are hearing is how abusive partners are using the Covid restrictions to impose even more control on them – women are being told that they are not allowed out at all during lockdown and some are having their movements monitored.

"It is really sinister."

Domestic abuse charities are dealing with more and more cases when the national restrictions are loosened and they are able to return to a more normal life.

Miss Storey said: "During the strictest lockdowns some women are unable to reach out for help or support but as soon as they are able to move around more we are experiencing an increase in calls.

"We adapted to the new situation as quickly as possible by launching a number of initiatives including online sessions but some victims are being stopped from using computers or their mobile phones."

Chief Constable of Cleveland Police Richard Lewis wrote a blog about the growing problem and has been working with charities to see for himself the beneficial work that they are carrying out to support women and children across the force area.

He said: “We know nationally that despite the number of incidents we record and attend, that it is a vastly under-reported crime.

“One of our great local organisations, Foundation, describe an increase in referrals to the Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) of 21 per cent between October and the end of December 2020 and across the country domestic homicide rates increased enormously during the first lockdown.”

In his blog the Chief Constable shares his experiences of Foundation in Redcar where he met with a group of survivors. He added: "I was in awe of their bravery."