A CHARITY which successfully campaigned for a remembrance day in honour of Great Sankey pupil Shafilea Ahmed is backing the latest initiative by the Government's forced marriage unit (FMU).

As the start of the summer holidays has arrived, the Government has launched a new campaign to increase awareness and tackle forced marriages.

The timing of campaign is linked to research which identified the summer holidays as a time when young women and men may be most at risk of being taken abroad and forced into a marriage.

FMU, which is jointly run by the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has called on victims, family members, friends and professionals to seek help if they believe a forced marriage is being planned.

Minister for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Countering Extremism Sarah Newton said: “We have heard of many cases in which teenagers being taken abroad over the summer think they are going on holiday, but when they arrive at their destination they face the terrible realisation that they are being forced into a marriage instead.

“This Government is absolutely clear ­- forcing someone to marry against their will is a crime.

"It is an abhorrent practice that can destroy lives, and we will not allow political or cultural sensitivities to get in the way of tackling it."

The FMU has produced radio adverts to be aired both in the UK and abroad.

Jasvinder Sanghera, a survivor of a forced marriage and founder and chief executive of Karma Nirvana who launched The Shafilea Ahmed Memorial Day, said: "What the Government is acknowledging and what we acknowledge it that this is a critical time of the year for victims at risk of forced marriages.

"The calls we get to our helpline always increase at this time of year.

"We want to prevent them from being taken aboard or suffering the same fate as Shafilea Ahmed."

After suffering years of honour-based violence – including an attempted forced marriage – Shafilea’s parents suffocated the teenager to death in front of her siblings in 2003. 

This year would have marked her 30th birthday.

To contact the FMU call 020 7008 0151.