NEW police orders banning men from their own homes to give abused partners some breathing space have been welcomed as “fantastic news” by domestic violence campaigners.

The Domestic Violence Protection Orders will apply for up to a fortnight in a bid to prevent women having to flee to emergency accommodation such as refuges.

Once an odrer is issued, victims will be offered help and advice by caseworkers on the options open to them if they left the relationship, including securing a longer-term injunction.

Under present law, only those arrested and charged with an offence can be barred – either through bail conditions or by the victim seeking an order in the civil courts.

In future, officers who did not have enough evidence to charge a suspect but believe a woman remained in danger would be able to seek an order, citing evidence from neighbours, family and friends, and any history of abuse.

Breaching the orders would lead to a prison sentence.

Mags Smith, children and families manager for Bournemouth Churches Housing Association (BCHA) welcomed the news. “We have been pushing for some kind of power to keep perpetrators out of the home for a very, very long time and this is great news for us.

“The refuges are six or seven times over prescribed and women often tell us they feel like they have been sent to prison for some sort of offence. They have had to leave their home, their friends and family and they aren’t the guilty ones. Anything that can help with that aspect of the dynamics of domestic violence is fantastic.”

She said a host of agencies meet in Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences to help women most at risk of serious harm.

“The order is just another link we can add to that process so people can access the services and protection to keep them safer and reduce the likelihood of murder.”

Julie Johns, creative director of the Butterfly Foundation, said the charity welcomes and supports the new changes in the governments reform of the law on domestic violence.

“It is imperative that the victims are safequarded from the perpetrators. Butterfly is well aware of perpetrator's manipulative behaviour towards their partners; how they will try to persuade and harrass their partners into either dropping charges, having them back into the home or promises of changing their behaviour.”

DCI John Gately, of the public protection unit at Bournemouth Police, said: “We have a lot of plans in place for victims of domestic violence anyway so this will only strengthen that, which is excellent. I think it is a very positive development.”

He said the force is currently giving up-to-date training and risk assessment training to all frontline and CID officers on how to deal with domestic violence.