A THOUGHT-provoking display of women's shoes and children's teddies is being used to highlight the horrors of domestic abuse.
The hard-hitting message was being made this afternoon by members of SEEDS (Survivors Empowering and Educating Domestic Abuse Services) on steps inside Drake Circus shopping centre.
As part of Domestic Abuse Awareness week, the SEEDS group was using 104 pairs of shoes to illustrate the number of women murdered by violent partners and ex-partners each year.
The group, who as ct as an advice group to the many services offered in the city to victims of domestic abuse, was setting up the shoes under the title of 'Never worn again, but never forgotten'.
Quadrate Handbag Handbags Hublot WatchIn addition, SEEDS is also staffing a display stand which is in place at the mall all week, offering advice and information to people about the services available.
They will also have 230 teddy bears which represents the average number of domestic violence incidents reported to the police in Plymouth each month, where children were present at the time of the abuse.
SEEDS coordinator Kerry Whincup said: "We hope the sheer number of shoes and toys will be a wake-up call to people who don't realise the huge scale of the problem of domestic abuse which claims the lives of two women a week in England and Wales.
"We also want to highlight the fact that children are often the ones who suffer most from
embroidered patches domestic abuse which can leave them emotionally and mentally scarred in adult life."
At least 750,000 children a year in England and Wales are known to witness domestic abuse, according to the Department of Health.
There are currently 189 children on Plymouth's child protection register and 36 per cent are due to domestic abuse.
The findings of a number of serious case reviews into the deaths of children in Plymouth have identified domestic abuse as a significant contributory factor.