DOMESTIC violence costs the residents of the North-East and North Yorkshire more than £32m a year, it has been revealed.

Researchers have calculated the cost of domestic violence to people living in the region by looking at the number of residents in each area and how much it costs to deal with every reported case of violence.

The formula, devised by researchers at the University of Sunderland, looks at the cost of treating the physical and psychological problems caused by domestic violence.

It estimates the cost of criminal proceedings, police work, housing, counselling, education and medical care used by domestic violence victims and perpetrators.

The new research was revealed at the annual general meeting of the Darlington Domestic Violence Forum yesterday

The cost has shocked many people involved in work with domestic violence victims.

Councillor Bill Dixon, cabinet member for social services in Darlington, said: "The figure is obscene. The financial cost borne by all of us is huge, but the cost in people's lives is much more.

"Sadly, there are still a lot of victims, a disproportionate number of whom are children, who receive no services whatsoever.

"Domestic violence is a crime and it needs to be treated as one."

The researchers have also devised a formula to work out the percentage of women in an area who suffer domestic violence.

The formula works on the theory that many cases of domestic violence are not reported, while some women may repeatedly alert police to what is happening to them.

Using the formula it is estimated that about 13 per cent of women in the region have suffered domestic violence at some time in their lives.

It is estimated that in 90 per cent of domestic violence cases the victims are women, and they are attacked, either emotionally, physically or mentally, by men.

Estimated cost a year of domestic violence in the North-East

Darlington £4.5m

Sedgefield £3.2m

Middlesbrough £4.9m

Stockton £6m

Redcar & Cleveland £5.1m

Hambleton £2.7m

Durham £2.8m

Hartlepool £3.2