An MP who recalled his childhood experiences seeing “broken glass or a kicked-in Hoover” has described the need for a domestic abuse offence as a “national emergency”.

Josh Babarinde said offences like grievous bodily harm (GBH) and assault could be labelled “domestic abuse aggravated” to distinguish them from other forms of violence.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Eastbourne suggested that without a specific offence, initiatives such as Clare’s Law are weakened if abusers can “explain away” their crimes.