The teenager was so concerned that Michael Cullen would make good on his threat that he fled from his home

A man not long out of prison threatened to chop off a teenager’s fingers with an axe, a court has heard. The teenager was so concerned by the menacing phone call that he fled his home shortly before the defendant turned up at the property armed with a hammer.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the background to the threat was money owed for damage done to a borrowed car, with Cullen volunteering to take the role of debt enforcer.

The defendant’s advocate said his client had been “trying to secure compensation for a friend” but accepted he shouldn’t have acted in the way he did.

Brian Simpson, prosecuting, told the court that the victim in the case borrowed a car from a woman known to Cullen, and then let a friend of his drive it. The friend subsequently crashed the car and the two men abandoned the damaged vehicle.

The court heard the woman asked the Swansea teenager – who cannot be named due to his age – for compensation for the damage done but none was forthcoming. The woman later mentioned the incident to Cullen who took matters into his own hands.

The prosecutor said on the night of April 13 this year the defendant called the teenager, telling him to pay compensation to the woman and telling him he had recently been released from prison.

Cullen then told the teenager that he would be attending his home that night, and would cut off his fingers with an axe.

The court heard the complainant ended the call before ringing the police, and that he then left the house as he was concerned Cullen would make good on his threat. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter

The prosecutor said that at 2.30am the following morning Cullen and the owner of the damaged car arrived at the teenager’s house in a taxi. He said the defendant knocked on the front door, and after getting no answer produced a hammer from the pocket of his hoodie.

The court heard Cullen then broke the video doorbell on the property before walking into the rear garden and taking a children’s motorbike. The 44-year-old defendant was riding off on the stolen bike when police arrived on the scene, and officers tracked him down and arrested him a short time later.

In a statement read to the court by the prosecution barrister, the victim said he was concerned for the safety of his family.

Michael Cullen, of Clyne Court, Sketty Park, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to sending threatening communications, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon, and driving while disqualified when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 11 previous convictions for 41 offences including “serious violence”, dangerous driving, and aggravated vehicle taking.

Andrew Evans, for Cullen, said his client had been “trying to secure compensation for a friend” but accepted he shouldn’t have taken matters into his own hands in the way he did, and shouldn’t have made unlawful threats – though he said in his submissions the threats had been “empty” ones.

The advocate said the defendant had come out of prison drug free shortly before the incident and was disappointed in his behaviour and the position he had now put himself in.

Judge Huw Rees said he suspected that in the cold light of day the defendant now realises he went about things in the wrong way and now understands he should not have got involved in the dispute.

With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas Cullen was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He will serve 40 per cent of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

The final pieces are falling into place for one of the most consequential by-elections in modern British history.

Next month, the people of Makerfield – a constituency covering the area south of Wigan in Greater Manchester – will choose who they want to be their new MP.

The contest was triggered by the resignation of Josh Simons, who said explicitly he wanted to give Andy Burnham an opportunity to win a seat in the Commons and possibly launch a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer.

This afternoon, it was confirmed that the Mayor of Greater Manchester will indeed be running as the Labour candidate.

We also now know the identity of the man likely to be his biggest threat: Robert Kenyon, a local plumber who is running for the second time as the candidate for Reform UK.

Both men have emphasised their community credentials. Burnham grew up a 20-minute drive away in the town of Culcheth, while Kenyon says he was born and bred within the constituency boundaries.

In a speech yesterday, Burnham apologised to the area for ‘the circus that’s about to arrive in town and the inconvenience that will result’.

But he added: ‘I hope you feel it’s a good thing as well that the places that make up this constituency, long forgotten by national politics, finally are at the centre of the national debate.’

What you should know about Makersfield

The first thing is that ‘Makersfield’ is not a town, and never has been.

It is an area containing several settlements large and small – including a few that incorporate the name, such as Ashton-in-Makersfield and Ince-in-Makerfield.

If you were to draw a line on a map connecting Manchester and Liverpool city centres, Makersfield would be almost exactly in the middle and a little to the north.

At the time of the last general election, just over 100,000 people lived in the constituency and they were almost 97% white.

The child poverty rate was more than 5% lower than that for the broader north-west of England, but house prices were also lower than the average for the region.

Like many other places in this part of England, Makerfield was once dominated by two industries: cotton and especially coal.

Burnham has focused heavily on the impact of deindustrialisation in the area, saying Margaret Thatcher’s government in the 1980s drained away ‘economic, social and political power’.

What are Makerfield’s politics?

This is a seat with strong, historic links to the Labour Party.

In fact, its residents voted Labour at the first opportunity in 1906, when the constituency was called Ince and the party was called the Labour Representation Committee.

They continued voting for the red rosette until 1983, when the constituency’s boundaries and name were changed. From then on, it was Makerfield rather than Ince that kept choosing Labour MPs.

There was never much of a threat to the party’s dominance until 2019, when Boris Johnson’s Conservatives came within 5,000 votes of taking the seat. This counted as a close call.

In summer 2024, it was Reform UK that posed a threat to new Labour candidate Josh Simons. More people voted for Nigel Farage’s party in Makersfield than any other seat won by Labour.

As Sir Keir Starmer’s government has grown ever more unpopular, it has looked more like a dead cert that Reform would bag the constituency at the next election.

But Andy Burnham’s candidacy changes the calculations. Not only is he a popular mayor, he is also positioning himself in opposition to the Prime Minister.

His unspoken message to voters is: ‘Vote for me, and you’ll make sure Starmer is replaced by a strong northern voice.’

For Robert Kenyon and Reform, the spoils of victory are irresistible – demonstrating they can beat Labour’s most popular figure in the country on his doorstep, while also keeping an unpopular PM in power.

They might be buoyed by the fact Makerfield voted 65% leave in the Brexit referendum, which took place almost exactly ten years before the constituency will go to the polls in June.

Luke Tryl, the boss of pollster More in Common, says attitudes have shifted to the extent it would likely now narrowly vote to remain. However, the landscape that led to that high percentage – such as concern over levels of immigration – remains.

He said: ‘Andy Burnham definitely wants it to be Andy Burnham versus Reform, rather than Labour versus Reform.

‘If it’s Labour versus Reform, Reform win. If it’s Andy Burnham versus Reform, it’s much closer.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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Cambridgeshire County Council is facing calls to sort recycling locally but says the process is not straightforward

A council faces calls for a new recycling centre to end a “ridiculous” agreement to send waste 400 miles away for sorting. Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council’s recycling waste has been transported to Newry in Northern Ireland since March 2025.

Susie Williams, a member of the public, asked Cambridgeshire County Council how likely it is that a recycling centre could be built in Cambridgeshire and when this could happen. She said: “The trucks generate considerable amounts of carbon emissions and particulates, which is not really acceptable for two councils who are aiming to become net-zero.”

Cllr Ros Hathorn, chair of the county council’s environment and green investment committee, said that the waste market and providers “do not serve the East of England particularly well” and don’t have “sufficient capacity” to take their recycling.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said the waste partnership, Recycling in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (RECAP) which includes all local authorities in Cambridgeshire, is starting to look at other solutions.

She said: “It is not as straightforward as just building an industrial unit, putting some kit in there and switching it on – it’s a long, expensive process. It requires a licence from the Environment Agency, which is not straightforward to get.

“It needs to get planning permission and, as a new facility would create significant traffic in its area, there is likely to be objections to it.”

Cllr Hathorn said that the upcoming local government reorganisation “has slowed down the prospects of any big project being started in the near future”.

The council was asked to approve a new strategy document for RECAP. Cllr Darren Green said he was “very encouraged” to see it recommended recycling take place locally.

The Green Party councillor said: “I think this council must do everything it can to change this. Other counties can process their blue bin recycling locally – why can’t Cambridgeshire?”

Cllr Mike Black said that “everyone can see that this looks ridiculous”. He called it an example of market failure and “privatisation not working”.

The Labour councillor said: “I don’t like hearing local government review as an excuse for doing nothing or delaying things. We have a new government after 15 years of the same, we have a vast need for change – and we need to change quickly.

“I don’t think we should be saying that local government review stops councils from being innovative and planning for the future. Indeed, I think on these sorts of issues, we should be trying to get things done as quickly as possible.”

Cllr Steve Tierney disagreed, saying “things aren’t always as simple as they appear”. The Conservative councillor said: “It’s not market failure when markets don’t deliver the outcome you want – that’s market reality – it would only be failure if they simply couldn’t do it.

“It’s not ideal to send things to Northern Ireland, I accept that. I would like to see a change that changes that, but only if it’s cost-effective for the taxpayer.

“If this works out to be the cheapest way to do it for the taxpayer, then I’d carry on supporting doing it – for the simple reason I don’t think we need to be layering costs upon the tax payer for virtue projects.”

Surrey Police are investigating two separate allegations of historic child sexual abuse following the release of the Epstein files.

The force said that one relates to locations in Surrey and Berkshire in the mid 1990s to 2000, while the other report relates to west Surrey in the mid to late 1980s.

In a statement, the force said: “Following the release of files relating to Jeffery Epstein by the US Department of Justice, we are investigating two separate allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse.”

It said that no arrests had been made in relation to the allegations.

“We take all reports of sexual offending seriously and will work to identify any reasonable lines of enquiry to verify information or establish corroborating evidence,” the force added.

“There is no further information at this time.”

In February, Surrey Police called for witnesses to come forward after a redacted report released by the US Department of Justice in December, set out allegations of human trafficking and sexual assault which allegedly took place in Virginia Water between 1994 and 1996.

Multiple UK police forces have been reviewing information contained within the millions of pages of files released earlier this year.

Surrey Police have followed separate investigations by Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police, who have arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Peter Mandelson respectively for alleged misconduct in public office.

Epstein, a convicted paedophile, was arrested in 2019 and was found dead in his cell months later while awaiting trial on human trafficking and sexual abuse charges.

His case continues to be in the public eye for his alleged ties to the famous – and names that are found in his alleged contact book, including Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson and former Prince Andrew.

Those named in the book have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Rowing is one of the best low impact cardiovascular exercises for people of all fitness levels. But sitting on a freezing cold river at 6am in the morning is, understandably, not for everyone. This is where rowing machines come into play.

The best rowing machines these days, from brands including Concept2 and Hydrow, can take your heart rate, monitor your progress and have you Boat Race ready in no time… maybe.

Ex-Team GB athlete Mike Dostal explains: “Not only does rowing engage up to 86 per cent of your body’s muscle groups, it is also incredibly low impact. It’s gentle on the joints – unlike high impact forms of exercise like running and cycling. It’s also a time effective workout, making it one of the best pieces of home gym equipment you can invest in.

We’ve tried air, water and magnetic rowers and, with the help of our experts, compiled a guide to the best at-home rowing machines on the market today. Here’s a quick look at our top five:

The best rowing machines: At a glance

JUMP TO REVIEWS

How to choose the best rowing machines

We spoke to ex-professional rowers, rowing coaches and fitness instructors about the rowing machines they use themselves, which they rate the most highly and how they choose which machines to train themselves or others on.

One of the most important factors is size. Too big and unwieldy and it will have to be stored away, which might reduce motivation if you have to heft it out to work out.

Whether you’re using a rowing machine for a goal, or just to get fitter, our experts recommended looking for smart connectivity. This way you can connect a heart rate monitor, check how many calories you’re burning and your speed, and compare how that changes over time.

Finally, consider what type of rowing machine you want, whether that be a water rower, air rower, magnetic rower or hydraulic rower, which changes the amount of resistance. Air rowers are the most popular, which use wind to create resistance. More on that in the FAQs section below.

Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended

Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don’t accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles.

From running shoes to exercise bikes, all reviews are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more.

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Romanian F-16 jet deployed with NATO air policing forces in the Baltics shot down what is believed to have been a Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia on Tuesday, authorities said.

Ukraine apologized for the “unintended incident,” and Russia warned of retaliation if Ukrainian drones are launched from Baltic countries.

Given the trajectory of the drone, “we decided that we need to take it down,” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.

“Most probably, today we can say that it was (a) drone which was, let’s say, meant to hit some Russian targets,” he told The Associated Press.

It was the latest in a string of incidents in recent months in which Ukrainian drones aimed at Russia have crossed or come down in NATO territory, with Western officials blaming what they say is likely Russian electronic jamming of the weapons.

Those incidents have come as Kyiv has steadily ramped up its drone raids, focusing on energy facilities and arms factories deep inside Russia as its domestic technology and scale of production improve.

On Sunday, authorities in Russia said that one of the largest Ukrainian drone strikes on the country killed at least four people, including three near Moscow, and wounded a dozen others.

Long-range drone attacks are a hallmark of the war, which began more than four years ago when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Experts from Ukraine and Estonia were working on measures to prevent such occurrences in the future, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said.

Ukraine apologizes “to Estonia and all of our Baltic friends for such unintended incidents,” Tykhyi said in an X post.

Estonia’s defense minister said that Ukraine has been advised to be careful.

“Our messages have not changed,” Pevkur said. “We’ve said to the Ukrainians all the time that if you’re attacking Russian positions or Russian targets, then these trajectories have to be as far from the NATO territory as possible.”

The strikes have caused some tensions within the Baltic states, which are supporting Ukraine’s war effort, and between them and Russia.

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, known by its acronym SVR, said in a statement Tuesday that Ukraine is preparing to begin launching drone attacks against Russia from the territory of the Baltic countries and warned of retaliation.

It said that the Ukrainian military personnel had already deployed to Latvia and warned that the country’s membership in NATO wouldn’t protect it from “just retribution.”

“Modern surveillance systems allow precise determination of the coordinates of the drone launch site,” the SVR said.

Last week, Latvia’s government collapsed, with the prime minister resigning after the defense minister was forced to quit over the handling of multiple incidents involving stray drones suspected to be from Ukraine, and his party withdrew its support.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs posted on X that “Russia is lying about Latvia allowing any country to use Latvian airspace and territory to launch attacks against Russia or any other country.”

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a statement following Tuesday’s incident that Ukraine has every right to strike Russian military targets.

“Estonia has not permitted its airspace to be used for attacks against Russia,” he said. “Incidents such as this are linked to Russian jamming activities.”

___

Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

The vote was prompted by the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons, who stepped down to make way for Mr Burnham to contest the seat.

In a statement, Mr Burnham said: “I am proud and humbled to have been selected as Labour’s candidate for Makerfield.

“These proud working-class communities represent the very best values of our country and they deserve so much better.

“It would be my honour to work for them every day, if elected as their MP, to achieve that. Many people here feel Westminster isn’t working for them and they are right.

“I am standing to change that and get the voice of these communities heard loud and clear.

“I am glad that this by-election has finally put the places that make up the Makerfield constituency into the national spotlight.

“They have been neglected by national politics for too long.

“It is a good thing that all political parties are now on the hook to tell the voters here what they are going to do for them.

“More than anything, people need life to be more affordable again.

“As Mayor, I have brought in changes which are helping, such as the £2 fare cap, free bus travel for our 16-18 year-olds and removing the 9.30am restriction from older and disabled people’s bus passes.

“But there is only so much I can do from Greater Manchester.

Congratulations to @AndyBurnhamGM – Labour’s candidate for Makerfield. pic.twitter.com/avag1HJon3

— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) May 19, 2026

“If elected, I will have a relentless focus on reducing people’s everyday costs and bills and well as securing the investment these communities need.

“I have been an elected representative in Greater Manchester for 25 years.

“Throughout that time, I have fought for the people of the North West of England on so many fronts.

“I am now ready to bring the whole weight of that experience to fighting for the communities of the Makerfield constituency and would be privileged to be given that opportunity.”

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market is giving back a bit more of its record-setting rally on Tuesday.

The S&P 500 fell 0.5% and was on track for a third dip after setting its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 397 points, or 0.8%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.6% lower.

That followed mixed movements for stock markets abroad, while oil prices eased in their latest yo-yo move. Falling technology stocks in Asia dragged South Korea’s Kospi down 3.3%, but Germany’s DAX returned 1% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

Tech stocks are slowing following huge runs made because of excitement around artificial-intelligence technology, runs that critics said made them too expensive. Uncertainty is hanging over all kinds of markets, from how long the Iran war will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed for oil tankers to whether bond markets worldwide have seen yields climb enough to drag on economies and all kinds of other financial markets.

The wait is on, meanwhile, for Nvidia to report its latest quarterly results. The chip company is due to report on Wednesday, and it’s routinely blown past analysts’ expectations each quarter. Not only that, it’s provided forecasts for future growth that have consistently topped Wall Street’s.

How it does could determine whether technology stocks and the larger U.S. stock market can keep up their rally. Nvidia slipped 0.7%.

“Every flow has its ebb,” Rex Feng, Venu Krishna and other strategists at Barclays Capital wrote in a report. They said investors have been pumping more money than usual into U.S. stock funds, which helped fuel “the fastest rebound in decades; now the pendulum could swing backwards.”

Akamai Technolgoies dropped 3.9% for one of Wlal Street’s sharper losses after the cybersecurity and cloud computing company said it wants to raise $2.6 billion through a convertible note offering.

Home Depot fell 2.2% after its results for the latest quarter edged past analysts’ expectations. An important measure for retailers, how much revenue grew at stores open more than a year, came in below some analysts’ expectations.

CEO Ted Decker said Home Depot saw similar demand from its customers as it did throughout last year “despite greater consumer uncertainty and housing affordability pressure.”

So far, many big U.S. companies have been reporting stronger-than-expected profits for the latest quarter as their customers keep spending even with high gasoline prices and other challenges weighing on them.

In the bond market, Treasury yields climbed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.66% from 4.61% late Monday and from less than 4% before the war with Iran began.

It rose even as oil prices eased. The price for a barrel of Brent crude fell 0.7% to $111.39.

Oil prices have swung sharply but largely remained above $100 with the unofficial U.S. driving season beginning Monday. Brent’s price was around $70 before the war with Iran began.

The average price for a gallon of gasoline rose again overnight to $4.53, according to the AAA motor club, or about 43% more than it cost last year at this time.

___

AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

As officers pull up outside a Victorian terraced home in east London, they take note of the number plate of the car parked on the driveway.

They fear it could belong to a domestic abuser who has been banned from the home because he is suspected of violently assaulting his partner. He was never prosecuted for the alleged attack because the victim was not prepared to make a statement. But if they find him here, it will be grounds for his arrest.

When three officers knock on the front door, a housemate tells them the victim is out at work, but reveals the suspected abuser has been staying there too. Officers make an urgent note to return that evening.

“It’s worrying that he’s been here. That’s the whole purpose of these visits, to potentially get that window of opportunity to help,” explains Sergeant Amar Sehmby, part of the Metropolitan Police’s safer neighbourhood team for Havering.

The unannounced house call is part of a new force-wide initiative called Operation Sallus to better enforce Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs) – often under-used court orders which are supposed to help protect victims, often by banning perpetrators from contacting them.

In the past, survivors have claimed such orders were so badly monitored they were worth little more than the paper they were written on.

However, this operation, which was last month in use in every London borough following a gradual rollout, is designed to counter that perception by taking a proactive approach with regular checks on active DVPOs in each neighbourhood.

“This is quite a soft use of enforcement, but it’s very much a kind of community-based linking our community officers with victim-survivors of domestic abuse,” detective chief superintendent Andrew Wadey, the force’s lead for public protection, told The Independent, which was invited to join officers making house calls last week.

“It’s an in-person visit by local officers, and the intention there is to hopefully speak to the victim and ascertain if there’s been any further issues. Is the offender there, do they need any kind of referrals or signposting to support agencies and essentially just take a really sort of victim-led approach to providing assurance, reassurance, and another avenue towards reporting any kind of breaches or concerns.”

Often, police turn to a magistrate for a protective order when there is not enough evidence for a trial or a victim is not ready to support a prosecution. They are a civil order and a breach can result in an arrest, with a mandatory court appearance within 24 hours. However the short-term orders only last a maximum of 28 days and breaches are a civil offence only punishable by a fine or up to two months in prison.

They will eventually be replaced with tougher Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs), which are currently being trialled and carry a maximum penalty of up to five years imprisonment, or a fine, or both.

In one case on the list of 10 addresses to be checked last week, the offender has already breached the DVPO twice and been arrested both times.

Other victims Sgt Sehmby and his team of two constables visit include a mother who was a victim of non-fatal strangulation at the hands of her own son and a woman who was strangled and thrown to the ground by her partner, who had previously threatened to kill her.

At the mother’s home, no one answers the door. But, back in the van, officers manage to speak to her on the phone where she tells them she is safe and staying with her daughter.

PC Jake Tibbs told her: “If anything does happen, please call the police, obviously the order is there to protect yourself. And obviously we can deal with it as we need to.”

The other strangulation victim was not at home, but officers planned to return later that night.

At a family home in east London, officers also visited a father who was protected by an order after his ex-partner was accused of seriously injuring him in a violent attack which caused grievous bodily harm and criminal damage. The officers spent 20 minutes inside the home, ensuring the order was being fully complied with.

They are also trained to look for signs of coercive and controlling behaviour and check on any children in the house.

The Met plans to start using the same tactics to enforce Stalking Protection Orders and Sexual Risk Orders in the coming months.

According to the force, the strategy, along with other innovative approaches to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), is starting to bear fruit.

In addition to Operation Sallus, the Met has been using counter terrorism tactics to track the highest risk VAWG offenders through their V100 programme and deployed undercover patrols to crack down on predatory behaviour in nighttime hotspots as part of Project Vigilant.

New figures show that arrests and charges for rape offences have more than doubled over the last year in London, making the Met the force with highest detection and charge rate for rape.

Arrests and charges for domestic violence have also increased by 82 per cent year on year, and arrests and charges for violence against women and girls have increased by 71 per cent.

DCS Wadey said they are “really starting to see the dial turn in terms of more people being charged”.

“And whilst the work is by no means done, there’s still so much more to do, this is really giving us momentum, I think, which is key. And hopefully it is giving greater confidence, particularly to women and girls, to report,” he added.

He admitted there still “much to be done” to rebuild confidence in the force after a difficult few years which saw the organisation labelled as “institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic” in a damning report by Baroness Louise Casey in 2023. It was commissioned following the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer in 2021, who used his warrant card to trick her into his car.

Yet more scandal has followed, with another officer, David Carrick unmasked as one of Britain’s worst sex offenders in 2023 and a damning undercover BBC Panorama investigation at Charing Cross police station last year, which showed officers making offensive comments and bragging about using violence.

The police chief believes Labour’s ambitious manifesto pledge to halve VAWG in just ten years is achievable, but will require a “whole system approach”.

Domestic abuse charity Refuge has welcomed the efforts to improve monitoring and enforcement of DVPOs in London, but called for an increase in their use, adding: “Only when these orders are properly implemented will survivors be able to access the full protection of the law.”

Some 3.8 million people experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2025, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales. In comparison, only 11,401 DVPOs were granted in year to March 2024, according to the most recent ONS figures.

Bo Bottomley, policy and public affairs manager at Refuge, said: “One in four women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, but Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs) are used in only a very small number of cases.

“Where protective orders are in place, survivors often tell us they are ineffective and not properly monitored and enforced by the police. Perpetrators routinely breach these orders, but police often fail to act when they do, leaving survivors at an increased risk of harm.

“We welcome efforts to improve monitoring and enforcement of DVPOs in London, but to truly improve survivor safety and strengthen confidence in the police response to domestic abuse, Refuge is calling for increased use of DVPOs in relevant cases, and a corresponding increase in criminal proceedings following order breaches.”