IT'S one of the last social taboos. Women suffering violence at the hands of their husbands or partners now know that help is only a phone call away.

But if you are a man being beaten by your female partner, how do you tell anyone about it?

The fear is, say men in a new support group being set up in Gwent, that people will laugh at you.

But for Paul, a Cwmbran father of three, violence at the hands of his ex-partner was no laughing matter.

He said: "She stabbed me, hit me, poured boiling water on my head, broke a glass on me when I was in the bath, and threw pepper in my face.

"She'd take my dinner and throw it out of the back door. She started to sell the furniture, the kids' clothing, everything, to buy drugs.

"She came back to bash the front door down and tried to attack me - even though I had a baby in my arms asleep.

"And I never ever laid a hand on her once. "Finally she was arrested. I've never seen her from that day."

The number of men who suffer physical or mental abuse from their partners is statistically small, but it is feared that the cases that are reported may only be the tip of the iceberg. Women's Aid in Cwmbran receives approximately two calls a month from men suffering abuse from their partners.

The new support group, Men In Confidence, has been founded by three men - one of whom is Paul - who have suffered abuse and want to help others.

Pete is another member of Men In Confidence. He said: "Can you imagine a 6ft 8in bloke, built like a brick outhouse, saying 'My wife beats me up?' But it happens.

"We want to tell people we're out here and no matter how big or small the problem, we'll try to help. "But the barrier with men is that they're frightened to ask for help."

The group are currently operating through CoStar in Cwmbran, but hope to set up a dedicated helpline soon.

The third prime mover Dai said: "Our main aim is to get a telephone line set up for the emergency cases, and giving the police on the front line our number.

"A bloke telephoned the other day and he was only let out at certain times. He only had a window of five or ten minutes, so he needed us to be here." Now, they need volunteers to help them extend their services. Dai said: "We need people - it doesn't matter how green you are. If you're a bloke you can help." Detective Constable Phil Hart of Newport's Domestic Violence Unit, acknowledged male victims of domestic abuse do exist, but said not many calls are received from men about being abused in the home.

He said: "In the Newport area one per cent of all calls to the DVU are from men." He said embarrassment was "definitely high" on the list of reasons men do not come forward. For more details of the group contact CoStar on 01633 838063 or visit them at Blenheim Square, St Dials, Cwmbran. l All names have been changed by request.