Human trafficking rife in borough, says report

The year-long study, which involved collating information from 400 organisations and conducting 50 interviews, was produced by human trafficking charity the POPPY Project, and was commissioned by Enfield Council.

It reveals a shocking range of offences including sexual exploitation, ritual abuse, forced labour, domestic servitude, forced marriages, and benefit fraud.

The study also says there is a lack of hard evidence on the issue and said the borough's counter-trafficking response was "greatly impeded" by a lack of clear policy and a "pervasive attitude that it was someone else's problem".

Regarding child trafficking the report said: "One contact was sufficiently frank to admit feeling relieved if a child on their casebook goes missing, or ... responsibility can be passed on to a different unit."

Because it had to rely on anecdotal evidence, the number of actual cases was unclear.

However, investigators found 19 sexual offences relating to trafficking, while the council referred 13 women to the POPPY Project between 2003 and 2007.

According to the chair of the Elimination of Slavery working group, Cllr Henry Lamprecht, the abuse is widespread.

He said: "It is all over the borough - there is not one single ward that hasn't got something. The hotspots are along Bowes Road, Southgate and Hertford Road.

"This is 2008 - we pat ourselves on the back and say well, 200 years ago we abolished slavery' and yet it is here all around us. It is appalling that it is still happening."

Councillors produced ten recommendations based on the report, which included changing the citizenship curricula in schools to emphasise the issue, and to ask the police, council bodies to improve arrangements for sharing intelligence and improve training for everyone who comes into contact with victims.

Human trafficking involves the recruitment or receipt of people by force or coercion for the purpose of exploitation.