Serial domestic abusers will be prevented from committing more crimes in Hart and Rushmoor thanks to a pioneering new toolkit, which will help to identify them more easily.

The innovative approach to pinpointing and preventing abusers, who move from one victim to another, was outlined during a training session in Farnborough.

More than 2,000 domestic incidents are reported in Hart and Rushmoor each year, with other incidents likely to be unreported.

The new Priority Perpetrator Identification Toolkit works by recognising patterns of behaviour so agencies can work more closely together to disrupt that behaviour and provide a multi-agency response to safeguard victims and their children.

A total of 88 perpetrators have been identified as serial/priority perpetrators since the toolkit was introduced across Hampshire, which has enabled interventions to be put in place to reduce the risk to current and potential victims.

Now, more than 60 practitioners, working to prevent domestic abuse in Hart and Rushmoor, have learnt how the toolkit can help them to recognise and stop the most dangerous, persistent and priority offenders locally.

The toolkit complements schemes, which are available to members of the public who are concerned they, or someone they know, is at risk from a current or former partner. The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, also known as Clare’s Law, enables people to make an application to the police to see if the individual has a history of abuse or if there is any other information, enabling the person at risk to make an informed choice whether to continue a relationship.

Help is available for residents to access information, advice and support, whether they are a perpetrator concerned about themselves, or a friend or family member worried about someone else’s behaviour. Information and sources of support are available on the Safer North Hampshire website www.safernh.co.uk/domestic-abuse

Cllr Ken Muschamp, Chairman of the Safer North Hampshire Community Safety Partnership, said: “Domestic abuse is a very serious issue and it is a strategic community safety priority to implement measures to tackle and prevent it. This new method of identifying serial abusers is another valuable tool to prevent abuse in the future. It is very important that those who are perpetrating domestic abuse and are concerned about their abusive and / or controlling behaviour, access support and help to make changes. They are encouraged to contact the Respect phoneline on 0808 802 4040 for advice and signposting to specialist support services.”

The training session was organised by the Safer North Hampshire community safety team.