Home Secretary David Blunkett yesterday signalled the biggest shake-up of domestic violence law for 30 years with the publication of a range of new measures to protect victims.

Mr Blunkett said he was determined to crack down on the "evil crime" of domestic violence, which currently accounts for one in four crimes of violence and claims the lives of two women on average every week.

Among the proposals are a register of domestic violence offenders and anonymity for victims and witnesses bringing court proceedings.

Mr Blunkett said: "One woman in every four will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

"Every single minute of every day a domestic violence assault is reported to the police.

"It can occur irrespective of background or circumstance, race or gender, but it is predominantly women who suffer.

"The Government is determined to do more to tackle this evil crime which devastates families and ruins lives."

The proposed measures - put forward in a Home Office consultation document, Safety and Justice - include making common assault an arrestable offence and breaches of non-molestation orders a criminal offence.

The availability of restraining orders would be widened in cases where there was insufficient evidence for a criminal conviction but sufficient to justify "safeguards being put in place".

Specialist courts could be further developed and there would be consultation on the creation of a register of civil orders, to enable police to know at the time of a domestic incident if the suspect had breached an order and could be arrested.