A charity founder, human rights campaigner and author has spoken to sixth form students about the dangers of forced marriage.

Aneeta Prem, leader of Freedom Charity, visited Leyton Sixth Form College on Friday to highlight the horrific treatment of some girls at the hands of their families.

MP John Cryer was also in the audience.

Ms Prem’s charity Freedom believes forced marriage is a hidden problem within the UK and that the figures given by government are under-representing the problem.

She said: “Dishonour abuse looms larger than ever with female infanticide, domestic violence on the rise and forced marriage affecting young men and women.

“FGM is affecting women across the globe every two seconds. We need to raise awareness on these abuses.”

Ms Prem, a magistrate who specialises in family, adult and youth law, set up Freedom Charity in 2010.

She first encountered forced marriage when teaching a karate class.

One of her pupils, a teenage girl, disappeared suddenly from her class.

She had been forced into marriage in Pakistan, where she was raped and beaten by her husband, and had eventually committed suicide.

Inspired by her pupil’s fate Aneeta formed Freedom Charity.

Free copies of Ms Prem's book 'But it's Not Fair' were given to students at the Essex Road college.