Domestic abuse fears over Christmas Covid restrictions in South Yorkshire
Charities worry the tier system might put victims off fleeing
People in South Yorkshire trapped in abusive relationships are being told there IS a way out, despite Covid restrictions over Christmas.
Support services here are worried the tiering system and recent rise in cases might discourage victims of abuse from fleeing their situation over the festive period.
It's usually a busy time for charities but many fear the pandemic will make things even worse this year.
Lauren Hirst is from IDAS in Barnsley - she says it'll have a big impact:
"A lot of people who've rung our helpline have feel like they're stuck in these situations but we want to reassure people that regardless of what tier you're in, regardless of the restrictions, people who are living in households where they're experiencing domestic abuse can leave. And we're here to support them doing that.
"People need to know that we understand how frightening it is but they don't have to live like that, they don't have to live in fear. They don't have to wake up every morning feeling scared and we really urge those people to come forward.
"Even if you can't directly make contact with IDAS just present somewhere like a local police station or a hospital."
Our On The Inside investigation back in September revealed a huge rise in domestic abuse incidents in South Yorkshire during the first lockdown.
We were told the Covid restrictions were a "perpatrator's dream".
There's always a spike in incidents around the festive period but charities are bracing themselves for even more demand on their services.
Lauren says it'll be a busy few weeks:
"I've worked in this sector for coming up 12 years now and I have already noticed that this week it has been busier than it usually would be. I do expect this year is going to be busier than previous years. We're going to be staying open - our helpline's operating daily 8am till 7pm."
"The pandemic's left people feeling like they've got no way out. Sometimes people are so isolated they haven't got access to social media or a phone to make contact with services. I think those people will be feeling really frightened moving into the Christmas period.
"There's a lot of anxiety around the tier system too - it's making people feel a lot more frightened than they would have been."
There are links to domestic abuse support in South Yorkshire here.
You can read our series of special reports for our #OnTheInside investigation here.