A DOMESTIC abuse counsellor has welcomed a Governement campaign to tackle the problem but says more must be done.

On Monday (March 9) Home Secretary Jacqui Smith launched a 12-week nationwide public consultation to discuss ways to reduce violence against women.

Experts will travel across the country so members of the public can have their say, and the roadshow will be at Bluewater on Saturday (March 14).

Northfleet-based charity Walk Tall runs a support service for victims of domestic abuse, where Michelle Isted-Smith has provided weekly counselling sessions for hundreds of women since 2004.

The 48-year-old said: “The consultation will generate ideas to prevent domesitc violence, but I still think the Government could do more.

“I would like to see domestic violence offenders placed on a register, like sex offenders, and they should be forced to undergo a rehabilitation programme to deal with their reasons for committing the offence.”

Funding for Walk Tall’s service originally came from council and lottery grants but last summer the money dried up, forcing the charity to appeal for donations to raise £15,000 to keep it running for another year.

Nothing was offered and the service limped on until the end of last year, hoping for a cash boost, but when nothing arrived it took the decision to ask those using it to begin paying.

It asks for a minimum one-off payment of £5 to use the service, but does not turn away people who cannot afford to pay.

To raise much-needed cash, the charity held table-top sale in Swanscombe’s high street on Wednesday (March 11), which brought in £56.

Ms Istead-Smith says “the government should be doing more to fund services like ours, because they are vital in rebuilding the confidence of women who have had their life shattered by domestic violence”.

A Home Office spokesman said police powers for dealing with domestic violence offenders and funding for support services will be reviewed during the consultation period.