The Coalition of 17 leading anti-slavery charities, of which Causeway is a founding member, partnered with Zappi, a leading consumer research platform, to survey adults in the UK about their attitudes and awareness of modern slavery.

It found that more than half of adults in the UK think they have spotted a victim of modern slavery, but only one in three of those raised concerns with police or others, either because they didn’t know how to, or were scared to do so.

The survey also found that 86% of us believe the Government should do more to raise awareness of modern slavery in the UK, and that those responsible for the crime should face higher sentences.

Leading police officers and prosecutors agree that the public spotting the signs of exploitation is critical in the fight against human trafficking in the UK.

Caroline Haughey KC says: “The pandemic of slavery is riven through our society. From the clothes we wear, to the food we eat and within many of the services we take for granted. It is everywhere, from cities to villages, factories to fields, and we must not close our eyes to it. Where we see the signs of exploitation, when we have concerns about what is happening, we must report them. By failing to call it out, we become part of the problem rather than creating the solution.”

To mark Anti-Slavery Day, the Coalition has set up a new website to help the public to take action by learning how to spot the signs of modern slavery and report it. coalitiontostopslavery.org

You can also anonymously report signs of exploitation and modern slavery to the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline on 08000 121 700.