Vicar takes stand against today's slave trade (From Swindon Advertiser)

Vicar takes stand against today's slave trade

9:06pm Sunday 25th March 2007 in

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THE vicar of Cricklade chained herself to a lamppost in a protest against slavery.

The Rev Judy Ashby joined sisters Hannah and Freya Lock-Pullan to mark Freedom Day, which represents the 200th anniversary of laws abolishing the British slave trade.

Churchgoers in Wroughton also repeated the act as part of a nationwide protest from umbrella organisation Stop The Traffik.

Members from St Sampson's Power to Change Group collected 80 signatures from passers-by in Cricklade during the vicar's chaining there.

The campaigners will pass the petition to charity coalition Stop the Traffik, which wants to prevent the sale of people.

Human rights activists say slavery is still widespread today even thought it was outlawed in Britain two centuries ago.

Penny Lock-Pullan, from St Sampson's Power to Change group, said: "We are trying to raise people's awareness that there are 12 million people today still in slavery.

"Most of the chocolate in the world comes from the Ivory Coast where a lot of children are slaves.

"A lot of people we stopped in the street were shocked to hear that slavery still happened today."

She said people assume there is little they can do to help but they can make a difference by buying Fairtrade chocolate and appealing to politicians.

The Rev Michael Johnson and parishioners from St John the Baptist and St Helen's Church were also chained to bollards outside the shopping centre in Wroughton, pictured above.

Sally Parker, who is the regional rep for Stop The Traffik, said: "Slavery wasn't abolished 200 years ago - it is still alive and kicking but has just gone underground.

"I've spoken to many people who say slavery doesn't exist but there are thousands of sex slaves in Britain."

About 40 passers-by stopped and signed the group's anti-trafficking declarations in Wroughton.

Events were held around the world to mark the anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade yesterday. The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said yesterday: "A nation of this quality should have the sense of saying we are very sorry and we have to put the record straight."

According to Stop The Traffik, an estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked every year.

The UN Office of Drugs and Crime says it is the fastest growing form of international crime and generates $7bn per year.