HUNDREDS of people will endure an unhappy Christmas this year as seasonal tensions explode into domestic violence across Swindon.

The town's emergency services are bracing themselves to deal with another surge in violent family incidents over the holiday period.

They and counselling groups say existing tensions in the home are often made worse by the pressure to make Christmas a perfect holiday.

And when liberal amounts of drink are added to the mix, hundreds end up spending Christmas in police stations or casualty wards, with more still suffering the abuse in silence.

The number of domestic violence incidents reported to the police in Swindon has risen sharply between November and December in recent years by 20 per cent on average.

Just under 1,000 attacks were reported over the last two festive periods, but PC Liz Paduch, of Wiltshire Police's Domestic Violence Unit, reckons the reported crimes are just the tip of a very ugly iceberg.

"The police are almost the last resort," PC Paduch said.

"It's estimated that a woman will be attacked a minimum of 30 times before they actually phone the police. Women who have been attacked will first of all approach their GP or their hospital's A&E department."

Medics at Princess Margaret Hospital are also braced for an influx of Christmas casualties, as the stresses of the festive period bring out the darker side of people's personalities.

Accident and emergency senior nurse manager Cathy Cook said: "There is evidence that domestic violence increases. But is is very hard sometimes to determine the cause of an injury because often people won't admit to it."

Other non-official services also feel the impact of domestic violence at Christmas.

Steve Curd, director of the Swindon branch of the Samaritans, said the number of calls to his volunteers usually increased significantly over the festive period.

"There is real pressure to enjoy yourself at this time of year, and for people who are already feeling low, this can make them feel even worse," he said.

"In our experience, Christmas and Boxing Day is a time when we receive a lot of calls, many of them from people who feel that Christmas has gone wrong. One of the best things to do if you feel you cannot cope is to give us a call."

Jenni Manners, the co-ordinator of Swindon's Women's Refuge, said it also made a point of stocking up on Christmas supplies for families driven out of their homes by domestic violence.

"We do get prepared here for families who turn up, having had their Christmases absolutely spoiled," she said. "Some years, we have had five or six new families in on Christmas and Boxing Day. At Christmas, families are all thrown together when generally they don't spend a lot of time in each others company.

"Expectations are high, alcohol tends to be around, and sadly, when expectations aren't met, there is a lot of disappointment, frustration and anger around."

If you need help, contact the Samaritans on 0845 790 9090, or the police's domestic violence unit in confidence on 01793 507801.