Classic British soap Coronation Street is to bring attention to human trafficking in a new storyline set to air on Monday.
The soap, which has been broadcasting for nearly 60 years, worked with the Salvation Army on the storyline, who put them in touch with trafficking victim J to help depict the story as realistically and sensitively as possible.
Across the UK it is thought that up to 136,000 people find themselves trapped in forced labour or trafficked and exploited for sex.
Weatherfield regular Seb Franklin (played by Harry Visinoni) falls for nail salon worker Alina (portrayed by Romanian actor Ruxandra Porojnicu). He will later discover that she is a victim of human trafficking.
Producer Colin McLeod said: “In many towns and cities across Britain, people are being forced to work against their will, living in extreme poverty and in fear for their safety, all so ruthless criminal gangs can get rich at their expense.”
While common perceptions of slavery are of physical violence and intimidation being used to control a victim, some are deliberately pushed into debt and forced to rely on false promises from traffickers. are put to work in construction, farming, nail bars, car washes and hotels.