PUB landladies are backing a drive to publicise the help available for domestic violence victims.
Members of the Durham Ladies' Auxiliary raised £1,000 for a poster campaign by the Chester-le-Street and Durham Crime and Disorder Partnership.
The posters will appear on Arriva buses during the next six months.
The campaign is stressing that one in four women are victims and that it can be a "hidden crime".
Caroline Lamond, a development worker with the North Durham Domestic Violence Forum, said victims in rural areas often felt more isolated and felt they had limited access to help.
She said: "The posters are designed to let victims know they are not alone and may make them feel more confident about ringing the advice line number - 0191-386 5951 - for help and information.''
PC Kath Sparrow, the area's domestic violence coordinator, said victims were becoming more willing to report assaults.
She said: "The number of formal complaints we have received in this division in the past two years has virtually doubled, from 528 to 1,061."
She said the Ladies' Auxiliary's cash had been crucial to the campaign
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