A Brighton MP has thrown her weight behind a campaign against the closure of refuge services for women fleeing domestic abuse.

While domestic abuse services in the city remain intact, Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas has criticised the closure of specialist refuge services across the UK, slashing the number of bed spaces available.

She is supporting the Women’s Aid campaign against the closures and last week tabled an Early Day Motion on the issue.

Ms Lucas said: “It’s absolutely vital that women fleeing an abusive situation have a safe and secure place to turn. To close what might well be the only place they can go, to cut them off from the support and advice they need, is out of the question. I will continue to do whatever I can to protect funding for services helping those that are subjected to gendered violence, improve the law so that individuals can be properly protected – and challenge some of the underlying causes of violence against women and girls.”

Jo Gough, from Brighton domestic abuse charity RISE, said a loss of refuge space nationally has an impact on local families.