Child survivors of Nepal earthquake 'being sold in UK'

Child survivors of the Nepal earthquake are allegedly being sold to British families to work as domestic slaves.

Youngsters as young as 10 are being sold for just £5,250 by black market gangs operating in the Punjab in India, an investigation by The Sun claims.

They are targeting the children of Nepalese refugees and destitute Indian families, according to the newspaper.

Home Secretary Theresa May called child trafficking is a "truly abhorrent crime" and urged the National Crime Agency to investigate the paper's claims.

She said: "No child, anywhere in the world, should be taken away from their home and forced to work in slavery.

"That is why we introduced the landmark Modern Slavery Act last year, which included enhanced protections for potential child victims of slavery and sentences up to life imprisonment for those found guilty.

"We encourage The Sun to share its disturbing findings with the Police and National Crime Agency so that appropriate action can be taken against the vile criminals who profit from this trade."

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on in April last year, killing almost 9,000 people and leaving millions in need of aid.

It is estimated that millions of people across the world are victims of modern day slavery, trafficked across borders and forced to work in servitude.

In October 2015 the Modern Slavery Act was brought in to crack down on modern day slavery and protect victims of trafficking.