Victims of domestic violence don't have to suffer in silence.

Celebrating with loved ones is something most people look forward to, particularly if relations live further away, but for some the festive season can exacerbate the suffering they are facing on a daily basis.

Although domestic violence isn't as taboo as it once was, mainly due to the many services and organisations offering support to victims which is encouraging more people to come forward instead of suffering in silence, statistics are still high.

According to the recent HMIC (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary) report, there were 353,100 crimes recorded in the category by forces in England and Wales in the year to April - an increase of nearly a third - 31 per cent - compared with the 12 months to August 2013 and means domestic abuse related offences account for 10 per cent of total recorded crime.

Although the total number of arrests have increased, the rate at which suspects are being detained has dropped by 10 percentage points to 66 per cent, based on data from 32 forces.

Yasmin Khan, director of Staying Put, the Bradford-based charity enabling women and children experiencing domestic abuse to remain safely in their own homes, says between 2015 and 2016 there have been 10,895 incidents of domestic abuse in Bradford and District reported to the police - a 20.4 per cent increase on the previous year. She says this doesn't include the statistic of clients coming directly to Staying Put, or the domestic abuse sector, which is around 50 per cent of unreported crime.

"I think what we are getting better at is getting people to ring us. We are able to respond better working closely with the police, the local authority and a multi agency hub working with all victims of domestic abuse," says Yasmin.

While Christmas is perceived to be a special time for families, it can be devastating for some. Traditionally organisations dealing with domestic abuse tend to see a spike in incidents around the festive period.

If a relationship is already fragile, spending more time together can exacerbate the situation. According to Yasmin any holiday time can be a trigger. "I think any holidays we find a spike in domestic abuse."

She says while spending time together can be a contributing factor she believes financial pressure can also play a part. "We know that times are really really tough and trying to meet the demands of having lots of presents and all that family stuff and it is really expensive, children want to do things and it all adds up," says Yasmin.

"Things can escalate and we feel that people usually plan to leave before Christmas or just after Christmas."

For those who are experiencing domestic abuse, the message is you don't have to suffer in silence and there is plenty of help and support available.

Yasmin advises those who are in an emergency situation should call 999; if they are seeking help and support they can call the Staying Put helpline on (01274) 665086.

When it comes to taking action, West Yorkshire Police arrested 25 per cent more people for domestic abuse, compared to the same period last year, during a 16 days of action initiative.

The Force focused its campaign on the impact of domestic abuse on children who may be victims or witness abuse, and specialist officers and teams undertook a number of special operations across the Force targeting known offenders for domestic abuse alongside its campaign to encourage victims and witnesses of abuse to come forward.

As a result 670 people were arrested between November 25 and December 10 2015 for domestic abuse offences - 536 people were arrested in the same period last year.

In Bradford specifically there were 205 arrests over the 16 day period compared to 144 in 205.

Although the 16 days initiative has now concluded, the Force will continue to focus its attention on safeguarding issues, and will be providing festive safety messages and hints and tips for safely enjoying the Christmas season working with partner agencies using #SafeChristmas

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Craig, Force Lead for Domestic Abuse said: "The increased number of arrests for domestic abuse offences compared to the same period last year can be attributed to victims and witnesses feeling increasingly confident in reporting incidents to the police and other agencies, alongside our continued commitment to safeguard those in our communities.

“The concentrated activities of our teams over the 16 days has been in addition to the extensive work we do every day in tackling these issues and protecting the vulnerable, and we are continuing to tackle these often hidden issues, along with other safeguarding incidents throughout the festive period."