After securing �9,000 of government funding, officers in the north of the county staffed a response car dedicated to fighting domestic violence.

Between 14 December and 6 January there were 115 recordable domestic violence incidents compared with 138 last year.

Insp Tim McCabe said the 15% reduction was a positive step.

Vulnerable time

He said: "This campaign was about giving domestic abuse victims the best possible support at a time of year when our research shows they are particularly vulnerable.

"What pleased me most was that we didn't see the expected seasonal increase in the number of offences and that may be down to the work of officers before and during the campaign."

Domestic Abuse Investigation Officers (DAIO) trained in conflict resolution worked across Loughborough, Charnwood, North West Leicestershire, Melton and Rutland.

They also used a new body-worn camera to gather evidence from call-outs at the earliest stages.

"Several of the victims told officers the service had really helped them and we are hoping to run a similar scheme next Christmas," added Insp McCabe.

Local figures show that domestic abuse increases by 70% over Christmas.