This shocking figure comes as Wearside Women in Need (WWIN) launch their week-long campaign to stamp out domestic violence in the city.

Today, Clare Phillipson, director of WWIN, is urging Wearsiders to back the campaign to help rid Sunderland of the daily beatings.

She said: "Domestic violence blights our city and together we can eradicate it.

"Virtually everyone in the city will know someone who experiences it or someone who suffered as a child and has had to grow up with the life-long effects.

"We want the next generation to grow up without this. We want our city to be better than that."

Ms Phillipson is also urging Wearsiders to have a heart and report suspected cases of domestic violence.

"A lot of people who know a neighbour or friend is being beaten just won't interfere," she said. "They will hear it going on and hear banging and crashing and they just don't report it.

"Please pick up the phone, you don't have to identify yourself and you could be saving a life."

Statistics show that one in four women will suffer at the hands of wife-beaters in their lifetime, and it takes on average 35 incidents before it is reported.

Domestic violence in Sunderland is also estimated to cost £16.6 million annually.

Coun Kath Rolph, chairwoman of Sunderland Domestic Violence Partnership, said: "This campaign is very, very important as domestic violence is very much a hidden crime.

"Firstly, this campaign shows the victims that people do care, victims do not have to suffer in silence and there are services to help them.

"Secondly, a campaign like this makes it clear to perpetrators that this behaviour is not tolerated in Sunderland whether a victim in the past, the present, or in the future, it must be reported, and anyone with suspicions that there is domestic violence happening should also report it.

"I don't believe Sunderland has rates of domestic violence that are worse than other parts of the country; what Sunderland has is a record of raising awareness about domestic violence and more people are willing to report it to the police."