When women become victims of domestic violence, too often they suffer twice over by having to leave home and flee to a refuge - usually taking any children with them. Not only do the women have to move away from neighbours and friends and virtually go into hiding, but the youngsters have to leave their pets, schools and playmates.

It is obviously far better if the woman and children can be enabled to stay put while the men who are subjecting them to domestic violence either are helped to learn to control themselves or are made to face the consequences of their actions by being the ones to leave.

That is the premise under which the domestic-violence unit Staying Put has been working for nearly two years. During that time the unique Bradford pilot scheme has looked after more than 800 women and around 1,000 children. According to co-ordinator Jane Liddell, those working for Staying Put have discovered effective ways of dealing with domestic violence which is set to become part of the mainstream.

It will be a great pity if Staying Put's reward for its success in this area, showing the way for others to follow, is to be a loss of funding which means the project has to fold. Yet that is the possibility facing it when the government cash runs out in March.

For the sake of the women and children who need help from the expertise that has been acquired over those two years, it is to be hoped either that the Government has a change of heart or that an alternative source of funding can soon be found.