POLICE in Cumbria have handled more than 300 requests for information about potential abusers in a year.

Clare’s Law, the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, allows police to share someone’s criminal history with their current partner if they feel they may be at risk of the same abuse.

Although domestic abuse figures have stayed roughly the same in Cumbria since 2019, there has been a rise in calls for information through the national scheme.

Data from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services shows that Cumbrian police officers submitted 266 applications in the year to March 2020 under Right to Know and 166 were approved in that time, the equivalent of 62 per cent.

The public were not as successful, submitting 75 Right to Ask applications and having 37 per cent of them approved.

Detective Chief Inspector James Yallop of Cumbria Constabulary, has reacted to the figures and explained the process.

He said: “If you have concerns about your partners behaviour please contact the Police or one of the many domestic abuse support services.

“You can find out if there is anything in your partners past history that may pose a risk by making a right to know application under Clare’s law.

He said: “Multi-agency checks will then be carried out to see if there is a risk.

“If there is, we will look to disclose this information with the support of an independent domestic violence advocate, social worker or health and wellbeing coach for example.

The Chief inspector said: "If as a result of the checks we find the person has no previous offending history and there are no wider concerns then a disclosure would not be made."

Women's Aid, a charity operating in the UK is working to provide life saving services, combatting domestic abuse.

They said the variation in disclosure rates for forces across England and Wales - which range from 12 per cent to over 80 for both parts of the scheme - shows a "very worrying lack of consistency" that could impact upon the safety of those at risk.

Clare's Law is named after Salford's Clare Wood, 36, who died in 2009 at the hands of her violent and obsessed ex-boyfriend - he was known to police as dangerous.

An inquest later heard a ruling from The Independent Police Complaints Commission that "mistakes were made" and she was let down.