The smoking ban and cheap alcohol in supermarkets could be fuelling domestic violence, according to a British police chief.

Chief Superintendent Peter White claims that the cheap price of alcohol in supermarkets could mean men buying their drink in the shops and then consuming it at home before turning on their partners.

While crime has reduced dramatically in the centre of Chief Supt White's patch in Preston, it has not been reduced elsewhere.

Around 40 per cent of violence in some parts of the city is related to domestic violence.

He told the Lancashire Evening Post: "It would seem sensible that some people will stay at home and drink more because it's cheaper to do it that way.

"That may lead to disputes between partners and therefore domestic violence," he added.

Solicitors in Northern Ireland can offer advice on domestic violence or divorce issues.

In Britain, one in four women will be a victim of domestic violence and two women a week are killed by a current or former partner, according to charity Women's Aid.

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