JULIA Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, has announced the creation of a new victim services unit.

Supporting Victims in North Yorkshire will go live on April 1, with the aim of offering victims of crime a single point of contact for accessing services and support.

The unit - which is based in York - will be staffed by Victim Support, working in close partnership with North Yorkshire Police and specialist providers of support services for victims. It will be co-located with the witness care unit to help improve the experience people have as they progress through the justice system.

In addition, Victim Support will provide trained and experienced volunteers in the community as part of the newly configured service.

Mrs Mulligan said: “I am determined to provide a better service for victims of crime in North Yorkshire. This new unit is an important step in reshaping local services and comes on top of a significant expansion in support for our most vulnerable victims, including children, last year.

"The investment has been made possible by the Government’s decision to devolve funding and responsibility for victim services to local Police and Crime Commissioners. This means that the majority of local victim services are now decided and provided locally, rather than in West Yorkshire or at a national level.

"In setting up these services, we had identified real gaps in care for victims and it is very good news that we can go some considerable way to filling them. This will mean that more victims get services and are able to better cope and recover. These new services are clear evidence of the difference Police and Crime Commissioners are making in their local communities.”