TWO women working against domestic violence took their message to India.

Bana Gora of Keighley's Domestic Violence Services and Sergeant Nicola Heppenstall from West Yorkshire Police spent ten days in New Delhi training other professionals.

The pair were part of a training exercise to forge links with Indian workers and to develop support systems over there.

Bana explained: "We were basically involved in running a training programme with health and social workers to educate people that domestic violence is not acceptable.

"It was a real eye opener and we were both shocked that there wasn't any help for women because domestic violence is just accepted as normal."

Sergeant Heppenstall said: "What we saw of the way that women and children are treated in India is appalling, there is so little awareness about their rights. There aren't even refuges for women.

"The police over here have only really started to properly tackle domestic violence in the last ten or so years, so we can't expect miracles.

"But it just makes you realise how well off we are and to be thankful for the support systems that Domestic Violence Services provide."

Manager at Domestic Violence Services (Keighley) Di Reed said that the project to raise awareness in India that domestic violence was not acceptable was the first of its kind.

She says: "It's the first time this project has been undertaken. Hopefully it will be done again in future and we will be kept up to date on the project. We've already had feedback that it's been successful."

Bana continues: "Through talking to people over there we discovered that they didn't really understand domestic violence as a concept, because they just tolerated so much.

"We worked with community workers and other professionals, and have recently been informed that they have gone on to train other people."

The project, which was externally funded, was developed through the British Council.

Bana added: "They were all so receptive to what we were doing. It's going to be a long struggle but hopefully these are the first steps."