JUST one in four British adults are aware that a quarter of women experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, new research has shown.

While nearly 80 per cent of people would report physical abuse, just 39 per cent would report less obvious forms of domestic abuse such as coercive and controlling behaviour, the survey commissioned by the charity Refuge found.

Interim CEO at Refuge Abigail Ampofo said: “Domestic abuse often operates in the shadows, manifesting in subtle, insidious ways that are hard to recognise.