16 January 2013 Last updated at 14:28 ET

Alcohol link in half domestic violence incidents in Cumbria

Half of domestic violence cases reported over Christmas involved alcohol, Cumbria Police have revealed.

Between 19 November and 6 January they were called to 950 incidents, of which 498 were alcohol related.

In December, 612 cases of domestic violence were reported, compared with 552 during the same month last year.

Det Ch Insp Mike Forrester said: "This is a worrying statistic but, sadly, alcohol is an all-too-common factor in many crimes and abusive relationships."

Cumbria Police launched a campaign in December to raise awareness of the support available to victims, saying data shows the number of incidents can rise at this time of year.

Between 19 November and 6 January, 286 people were arrested and 315 potential crimes are now being investigated, the force said.