SIR – More than two centuries ago, the British public stood together to help end the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Despite this historic victory, slavery persisted and continues to ravage the lives of an estimated 12.3million people across the world, including here in Britain. Tuesday, October 18 is Anti-Slavery Day and its purpose is to raise awareness of the thousands of people forced to work without pay by criminal gangs and unscrupulous bosses across the UK.

This includes people in forced labour in factories, restaurants and on building sites, as well as domestic workers trapped in private homes, women trafficked into prostitution and children forced to beg, steal or work against their will as ‘gardeners’ in cannabis farms.

Anti-Slavery International, the world’s oldest human rights organisation, hopes this day will act as a catalyst to galvanise the public to once again take a stand against slavery and to help us finally stamp out this horrendous crime.

To find out how we can all defeat this problem once and for all, or to make a donation to help Anti-Slavery International with its work, please visit antislavery.org.

Dame Judi Dench, Anti-Slavery International patron