A new report, the first scientific estimate of the scale of modern slavery in the UK, has shown that the number is four times what was previously thought. Victim levels are estimated to be between 10,000 and 13,000 including women forced into prostitution, domestic staff and workers in fields, factories and fishing boats. Home Secretary Theresa May said the scale of abuse was ‘shocking’. She added: ‘The first step to eradicating the scourge of modern slavery is acknowledging and confronting its existence. The estimated scale of the problem in modern Britain is shocking and these new figures starkly reinforce the case for urgent action. That is why I have introduced a Modern Slavery Bill, the first of its kind in Europe. But I have always been clear that legislation is only part of the answer. Everyone must play their part if we are to consign slavery to history where it belongs.’