MORE than 120 people have been abused by members of their own family in Craven during the last six months - and that is just the incidents reported to police.

This shocking statistic is one of the key reasons for the setting up of the Craven Domestic Violence Forum.

Coronation Street star Jenni Williams helped to launch the service last Thursday.

Miss Williams who played abused Sheila Hayes, during one of The Street's hard hitting story lines about domestic violence, said she was impressed with the amount of work that had gone into getting the service up and running.

She said it was upsetting to act the part of an abused wife and mother in a make-believe situation with friends and family around.

"But the reality is something different. You can't wash the make-up off and there are not always Roy and Hayleys there to support you.

"Let's hope that with the help of this project many other women, men and children have a happy ending as well."

Miss Williams said she had been surprised to find that domestic violence existed to such an extent in rural, picturesque areas like Craven.

The Craven Domestic Violence Forum will offer confidential information and support to anyone in a violent relationship.

At the launch event many agencies, including the police, social services, Craven Advocacy, YMCA, and the Craven Organisation for Drugs and Alcohol, who all offer different kinds of help to the victims of violence, set up stalls in Skipton Town Hall.

The new forum, led by development worker Jo Purdy and outreach worker Moya Harrison, will co-ordinate help from all the agencies to ensure the victim gets the right assistance.

Also at the launch, the Geese Theatre Company performed a play called Stay about a family suffering domestic violence.

Skipton Inspector Tad Nowakowski said that nationally a quarter of all reported violent crime was domestic violence and that one in four women at some stage in their life experienced domestic violence.

He said domestic violence encompassed a wide range of abuse, the most serious resulting in murder.

"It includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse and is not restricted to females. It occurs in urban and rural areas, regardless of the victim's class, religion and colour.

"Research shows that domestic violence is likely to become more serious and more frequent if it is allowed to continue," he added.

Chairman of the forum Barbara Cox said Craven Domestic Violence Forum had been set up thanks to almost £200,000 in lottery funding. Several volunteers had already been trained to man the helpline.

She added that the services the forum provided in the future would be determined by what the clients needed. She hoped that long term funding would also be secured for the forum.

The confidential help line number is 0800 0858735 and someone will be available to offer advice Monday to Friday 10am to noon, and Monday evening 7pm to 9pm.