Hair and beauty professionals will be being provided free training in spotting signs of domestic abuse and giving victims some much-needed support.

Cut it Out Bolton is a community initiative designed to teach hair and beauty professionals how to respond if they have reason to believe a client is, or has been the victim of abuse.

Three online training sessions will be provided by the domestic violence charity Fortalice, starting on Monday, June 28.

Letters have been sent out to hair and beauty professionals in the borough to give details of the training and urge as many to take part as possible.

Cllr Nadim Muslim, the borough council's executive cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “Domestic abuse is an abhorrent crime that destroys lives. There is plenty of help out there, but sadly we know many victims don’t feel like they can come forward or don’t know where to turn.

“As trusted members of the community, our hair and beauty professionals are well placed to spot the signs of domestic abuse and help their clients access the support they need.

“This free training will give them the knowledge and the confidence they need and could help save lives.”

The training sessions are designed to be as interactive as possible and will feature videos with examples of domestic abuse-related scenarios, and questions.

Gill Smallwood, Fortalice chief executive, said the focus of the lessons is for victims of abuse to know what resources are available for help.

Cut it Out is being led by Bolton Council, Fortalice, Greater Manchester Police and the wider Bolton community.

Gill said “Sometimes the signs of domestic abuse are not that obvious.

“It’s incredibly important that hairdressers are educated in these matters and anything we can do to raise awareness is going to save lives.”

Fortalice is a charity which provides information and refuge to families, young people, and women affected by domestic abuse.