AN EAST LANCASHIRE MP is backing a scheme to help victims of forced marriages.

Hyndburn MP Graham Jones is spreading the word of a new helpline and also urging constituents who are affected to visit the foreign office website.

He is helping publicise JAN Trust’s launch of a dedicated website and a free helpline. He said: “Statistics show that a ‘typical’ forced marriage case involves young women in their teens or early twenties and the Pakistani community make up 65 per cent of cases handled by the Forced Marriage Unit.

“Therefore, JAN Trust consulted with over 1,000 grass roots Pakistani women over a period of three years. 85 per cent of women stated that a forced marriage had occurred in their family but crucially, 77 per cent said that they would not approach the police for further help if faced by or in a forced marriage.”

For more information visit www.jantrust.org or call the helpline on 0800 141 2994.