THE father of Jane Clough murdered by her former partner has said her life might have been saved by a new anti-domestic violence campaign aimed at men.

John Clough, whose daughter Jane was murdered by Jonathan Vass while he was on bail for raping her, is backing Lancashire’s bid to become the UK’s first ‘White Ribbon’ county.

The scheme, launched today by Lancashire County Council, Lancashire Police and police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw, on the international White Ribbon day, encourages men never to commit, condone or stay silent about domestic violence.

Mr Clough, from Barrowford, said he believed Jane, a nurse, would have fully supported the pledge. He said: “I think Jane would have been all for it because she was actually going to speak out about violence and the way the authorities and the courts treated her when she came forward.

“It is nice for my wife Penny and I to be able to do something positive and give support to something that we believe in so deeply.

“We have seen domestic violence from a view point that we never wanted to be involved in and never wanted to see. We have seen the impact it has on a family and the impact it has on a loving, young girl. We need people to know that domestic violence within a relationship is not normal.”

Domestic abuse reports have steadily increased in the last three years in Lancashire. Since April 2009, more than 87 per cent of perpetrators were men.

Mr Clough said men should take responsibility for their actions. He said: “If you are hitting somebody or abusing somebody, that is wrong. Relationships are something that need a lot of work and violence is not the answer.” Mr Grunshaw said: “This problem cannot be ignored and we all have a stake in tackling it.”

Clubs, district councils, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and the probation trust will now be encouraged to sign up to the pledge. The county, Blackburn with Darwen and Hyndburn councils have already pledged their promise to tackle violence.

Chief Constable Steve Finnigan said it was vital domestic abuse was reported earlier and for people not to suffer in silence.

For more on the campaign, visit www.white ribboncampaign.co.uk.