Police are wearing body-mounted cameras to help them gather evidence against domestic abusers.

Enfield Borough Council has bought 55 of the cameras for officers as part of a crackdown on violence in the home.

The plan came about because domestic violence is notoriously difficult to prove, with victims and witnesses often reluctant to give evidence.

Enfield Council’s cabinet member for environment, Councillor Chris Bond, said: "A picture paints a thousand words. Many victims of domestic violence are reluctant to press ahead with providing a written statement after the police have attended an incident, which means prosecutions either don't get to court or, if they do, they do not lead to a conviction.

"If an officer with a body-worn camera attends a domestic violence incident they can record the victim's story in real time, see their injuries and capture the damage that this sort of violence causes in ways that cannot be reflected in a witness statement. That’s why we’ve funded these cameras."

Chief Inspector Ian Kibblewhite, from Enfield Borough, said: "Officers in Enfield have been using the body cameras funded by Enfield Council to assist in gaining evidence, especially the extent of injuries, to support cases of domestic abuse.

“The cameras have led to several prosecutions and have also been used to record evidence at crime scenes and provide an immediate 'capture' of evidence in a number of scenarios. This is another example of how we work closely to tackle crime in Enfield with Enfield Council."