SAFE havens have been created across Sedgefield to help women and children escape from domestic abuse.

Three houses have been set aside in the borough, which has one of the worst domestic violence records in the region, to offer families a sanctuary while they build new lives.

Each home is a three-bedroom council house and has been set up for victims by Sedgefield Borough Council as part of its homelessness provision.

The police have helped install extra security measures, including door viewers, sash locks, security lighting and an alarm providing a round-the-clock link with police.

To help the families feel at home, all the properties are ready to move into, with furniture, bedding, appliances and kitchen items.

It is hoped the safe homes will help bridge the gap between emergency accommodation, such as refuges, and permanent housing.

Working under the umbrella of Sedgefield Community Safety Partnership, the multi-agency body Domestic Violence Action Group, which includes representatives from the council, police and health and social groups, is leading the project as part of a plan to address the problem.

Most people who use the facility will have been referred to the council's housing department by its outreach services Number 31 and Soda (Survivors of Domestic Abuse).

The council has also appointed Claire Doyle, a domestic accommodation and support officer, to oversee management of the houses, from organising building repairs to offering advice and support.

She said: "Some people who have suffered domestic abuse might have relied completely on their former partner.

"They may not be able to manage their finances or have the self esteem to leave the house and go about daily business.

"I can offer them all of that support, from helping sort out children's schools and benefits advice, to bus timetables."

One woman already helped by the initiative, who is a victim of domestic violence, said: "Both the house and all the support I received from the staff at Sedgefield Borough Council have been invaluable to me during a very difficult time for me and my family."

Councillor Malcolm Iverson, cabinet member for community safety, said: "The support we can now provide to help families recover from domestic abuse, which is an appalling breach of trust in itself, means we can help them move on to a new and positive future."