The Bishop of Lichfield has called on people to work together to bring an end to the global scourge of people trafficking.

The Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill said in a message being distributed throughout the diocese that Christians should work together to stop the trade, reports the BBC.

This year the Church of England is planning a number of events to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade as part of its wider Making our Mark campaign, set up following the formal apology made by the General Synod in February 2006 to the heirs of those who were enslaved.

The Diocese of London launched its Lent Appeal earlier in the month, which aims to raise £250,000 to set enslaved people free.

The Church's Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) has organised a Walk of Witness through the capital to take place on March 24.

Bishop Gledhill said Christians should be proud of the part they played in the campaign to abolish slavery and to do something to stop the new trade.

His message is being distributed to the 585 churches in his diocese which covers Staffordshire, most of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands.