Domestic violence victims in Bradford will be being given more support through the ordeal of giving evidence in court after new guidance for prosecutors was agreed.

The Crown Prosecution Service has produced a set of national guidelines for dealing with cases of domestic violence to make it easier for victims, including children, to give evidence.

Domestic violence experts in West Yorkshire have welcomed the new guidelines, but say Bradford is already "ahead of the game" in supporting victims.

Chief Crown Prosecutor for West Yorkshire, Neil Franklin, said: "We are setting the pace with innovations on expert witnesses, use of specialist courts and piloting different models of effective prosecutions.

"Our revised domestic violence policy, guidance and training, signals our clear commitment to winning justice for the victims of these crimes."

Julia Schofield, the West Yorkshire domestic violence co-ordinator for the CPS, said Bradford had been "ahead of the ball game" by working closely with police for the last five years.

One of the innovative schemes the CPS has pioneered in Bradford is to go into counsels' chambers in the city and train barristers in how to prosecute domestic violence cases.

She said: "We have trained quite a number of barristers in Bradford and I would hope we have won more cases by doing it."

Mrs Schofield said a pilot scheme was also running at Bingley magistrates court in which domestic violence cases were fast-tracked through the courts.

The scheme means that the case is first heard at court within days of an offender being charged, with the trial being heard within four weeks. Normally it can take up to six months for a trial to be heard.

Mrs Schofield said: "We know that the longer a domestic violence case takes to get to court the more likely it is the victim will withdraw their support for the prosecution. This makes a significant difference and means more convictions."

She said that in West Yorkshire victims could be shielded from defendants in court by screens and sometimes they could give their evidence from another room in the court building by video link. There was even provision for courts to be cleared if there were people in the public gallery who a witness might find intimidating.

"It is a daunting ordeal to stand up in court to give evidence. They have concerns above and beyond other victims and we appreciate how difficult it is for them. We try to assist victims to give the best evidence they can."

Mrs Schofield said the over-riding concern was for the safety of victims and their children, which would include careful consideration of bail conditions.