ELDERLY victims of domestic violence are suffering in silence in Essex.

Somebody is murdered every two months in their own home in the county and attempts are being made to reduce the number of incidents of domestic abuse every day - now at more than 80.

A conference was held to try and find ways to improve the services available to elderly residents in particular.

Safer Places, a charity supporting victims of abuse, hosted the conference in Chelmsford on Monday.

The aim was to highlight the large number of victims aged over 50, many of whom are assaulted by their own children.

More than 100 representatives from the police, heath and social services, care agencies and support groups attended.

Police and Crime Commissioner Nick Alston, who opened the conference, said: “Once every two months in Essex, someone is murdered in their own home by a family member.

“If that doesn’t give us real cause for deep concern and wanting to do better then what possibly can?

"Abuse involving older victims is an area of domestic abuse that can easily be overlooked and we need to work out how we reach those elderly victims we may not be reaching now."

Victim Support is one of the charities helping around the county.