PRIME Minister Gordon Brown has paid tribute to the work of Totnes MP Anthony Steen in helping tackle the brutal trade in people.

Speaking during his weekly question time in the Commons, he also welcomed the setting up of a charity by Mr Steen, dedicated to combating the blight of human trafficking.

It came as Mr Steen, who is chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Trafficking of Women and Children, again pressed the Government at Westminster for action against this 'modern day slavery'.

Mr Steen currently has legislation going through Parliament aimed at securing an annual anti-slavery day that would make people aware of the 'dangers and consequences' of the crime.

Raising the issue in Parliament, Mr Steen thanked all sides of the Commons for backing his campaign on human trafficking, before urging the PM to take further steps to tackle the trade.

Responding, Mr Brown said: "Can I thank him for his chairmanship of the all party group on human trafficking.

"Can I also say I welcome his proposal to set up a human trafficking foundation when he steps down from Parliament, and we thank him for the work he's done while he's been a member of this house."

"I hope we can bring a resolution to at least some of these tragic issues of human trafficking," he added.

Previously, Home Secretary Alan Johnson has praised Mr Steen for raising awareness about the issue, while Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague has also hailed the retiring MP as a 'tireless champion' in his work to tackle people trafficking.