Melanie Crumpton, and her youngest son, Christopher,

Julie Crumpton, whose son-in-law Christopher Elsbury strangled her daughter Melanie, helped launch the extended phone service.

The Welsh Assembly Government has provided an extra �250,000 to expand the helpline run by Welsh Women's Aid.

It is aimed at men, women or children suffering domestic abuse.

Mrs Crumpton described how, in December 2003, her daughter married a man with a history of violence towards her.

You always think he'll never take it that far but don't you think we thought the same thing? Julie Crumpton

Within a month he had beaten and strangled the mother-of-three. He later received a minimum 16-year sentence.

Mrs Crumpton, who has taken part in publicity for the helpline over several years, advised abuse victims not to assume their partner could never go so far as to kill them.

Mrs Crumpton said: "You always think he'll never take it that far but don't you think we thought the same thing?

"So when it happens the devastation is absolutely unbelievable."

Welsh Women's Aid director Elen Pierce said domestic abuse killed more women between 18 and 45 than war, cancer and HIV.

She said: "When a woman actually wants to leave she is most at risk so the helpline is really good for making sure that she is safe.

'Invaluable assistance'

More than 20,000 calls have been received and answered since a 12-hour service was set up three years ago but Welsh Women's Aid estimates 4,000 calls were missed during the hours the phone line was closed.

Social Justice Minister Edwina Hart said: "The Welsh Assembly Government has made combating domestic abuse a priority."