A national alliance has called on Christian leaders to "challenge (their) church's perceptions on prostitution".

The National Christian Alliance on Prostitution (NCAP) has launched a new pack entitled 'Breaking the Chains', which has been created with the focus to offer an easy-to-use resource for all churches.

The pack provides an overview of some of the main issues surrounding prostitution as well as practical steps for offering support to those who are caught up in this evil trade.

The resource offers many links in the chains binding those involved in the sex industry - such as violence, abuse, vulnerability and drug dependency.

NCAP expresses in a press release that it hopes to "empower people bound by these chains to free themselves and to discover that freedom and hope are possible".

The new resource contains facts, background information, case studies and materials which can be used in home groups and other small group settings.

It also contains practical suggestions for church involvement on numerous levels.

The Rev Andrew Dotchin, vicar of the central Ipswich parish of Whitton said, "Learning from the response of the people of Ipswich this information and discussion pack reminds us that there are real people - somebody's daughter - in the middle of Britain's sex industry and sets out to listen to these stories in a sympathetic way which suspends any action until all the facts are known."

NCAP explains: "Buying sex involves exploitation and the estimated age of girls involved in prostitution in the UK is only 13 years old.

"They experience violence and abuse on a daily basis. And the number of men buying sex in the UK has doubled in the past few years."

The National Christian Alliance on Prostitution is a body with the aim of uniting and equiping church groups and other organisations working with people involved in or exploited by the sex industry.

For more information on the battle against the sex industry, and on the NCAP please visit: www.ncapuk.org