A HUSBAND has been temporarily banned from contacting his wife under new powers to protect victims of domestic violence.

Police have issued the first Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) in the Thames Valley on Tuesday after arresting a man on suspicion of assaulting his wife.

The DVPOs were introduced in June and give courts the power to ban people who have used violence or the threat of violence in a domestic relationship from seeing their partner for up to 28 days to give them time apart and allow the victim access to support.

After arresting the man early on Tuesday morning and releasing him with a formal caution detectives applied to Reading Magistrates’ Court and were successfully granted the order preventing him from contacting his wife, attending the address or harassing her. If he breaches the order he can be immediately re-arrested.

Detective Constable Wendy Lee from the Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit said: “I am pleased with this result; as the order should help to protect the victim from further abuse.”