ONE hundred campaigners taped their mouths shut and walked through Windermere over the weekend to raise awareness of slavery.

The Walk For Freedom event aimed to help shine a spotlight on the 27 million men, women and children across the globe who are still enslaved today.

Julie Ross, Windermere resident and organiser of the walk, said that those taking part wanted to show people that human trafficking was a global problem but that it could also be happening in South Cumbria.

"This crime is so under the radar," she said. "It's very hidden but people are trafficked in all sorts of vulnerable situations. Young people particularly.

Because people are coming unaccompanied to our country they are prime targets for somebody using them in not a good way - the sex trade is huge."

Participants walked from The Lakes School, Troutbeck Bridge, to Bowness Pier, handing out leaflets with their mouths taped over.

"We're speaking up for those who have no voice of their own," Julie explained. "It's a silent march but it's the visible march that we want to have an impact."

Walk For Freedom, a global event that was created by A21, a global anti-human trafficking organisation, ties in with a regional campaign that Cumbria Police is supporting this week, which also aims to raise awareness of modern day slavery.

In the UK in 2015, 3,266 people were identified as potential victims of trafficking. This is a 40% increase on 2014 figures. Of this total, 982 of these were children.

Between September 1, 2015 and August 31, 2016 there have been eight offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in Cumbria.

Additionally, a report by the International Organisation for Migration found that 21% of women who were trafficked into sexual exploitation in the UK but managed to escape were then re-trafficked.

The walk was organised as one of 300 walks across 40 countries globally by A21.

The campaign is focused on asking members of the public whether they would recognise the signs of modern day slavery, which include an individual being scared and withdrawn, having no access to a passport and having unexplained injuries.

Types of slavery could include sexual exploitation, forced labour and domestic slavery.

Detective Inspector Craig Smith said: “People may have the misconception that modern day slavery doesn’t happen in Cumbria, and that it is only an issue for big cities.

"However, human trafficking and slavery can happen anywhere and I would urge anyone who has concerns to report them to the police immediately."