Police will closely monitor those at high risk of violence

Thames Valley Police are testing out a new approach to "high risk" cases in Oxford during a six-month pilot.

The scheme will see the expansion of the Cowley-based domestic violence unit, with officers undertaking formal risk assessments of cases they attend.

The risk assessment method was first trialled by the Metropolitan police.

To be blunt, the idea behind the scheme is to stop domestic violence before it becomes murder Inspector Oliver Wright, domestic violence unit head

Sergeant Linda York said: "We have been looking for some time for a way of highlighting those cases which are at the high risk end of the scale.

"If we can do that, then hopefully we can not only prevent the very extreme cases of murder but also the huge amount of serious assault cases which go on within the home.

"If we can save just one life through these new measures, then we have done our job."

The Thames Valley force is the third in the country to use the assessment approach while the expansion of the domestic violence unit makes it the largest in the force.

A victim support worker is also being seconded to the team.

Police say the assessment process, starting on 1 April, is designed to pinpoint the triggers for violence within any relationship.