Call for Met to keep anti-human trafficking unit

11.06.32am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 12th Oct 2009

Lib Dem Parliamentary campaigner for Streatham Chris Nicholson has added his voice to calls from charities for the Met Police to retain its specialist anti-human trafficking unit. His comments came just weeks after Lambeth's Borough Police Commander Nick Ephgrave decided to reinstate the Borough's Vice Squad as he believed a specialist unit was needed to tackle this problem.

Chris commented, "I cannot believe that the Police are planning to disband this specialist unit which has been described as an international example of good practice. Human trafficking is an evil trade and the women and children who are trafficked are subjected to disgusting and degrading treatment. It is particularly hard to accept that it makes sense to leave the efforts to tackle this crime to ordinary police. As we saw in Lambeth after the scrapping of the Vice squad, a specialist team is required"