"My story is really the story of Mary. Mary, a 28-year-old mother of two from Malawi, was brought to the UK in 2000 by a rich family offering her work so she could support her children back home. When she arrived, her passport was confiscated and her few possessions thrown into a bag. She was told she would work as a domestic servant. She lived in the garage and was paid just £10 per week. Every day she cooked and cleaned for different family members in houses across London. Mary was treated as a slave. She wasn't allowed to eat with the family or even eat the same food and the only time she went out was to be driven between houses for cleaning duties. For more than three months she had no contact with her family or the outside world. One day when the family were out, Mary escaped. She had no idea where she was. She asked a passer-by for directions to a Catholic church. He took her to my parish, where the priest asked if I could give her a bed for the night. He also contacted the Malawian Embassy and UK immigration service.

"I looked after Mary for about a month. With the help of the authorities we confronted Mary's employers and collected her passport. I saw for myself the shocking conditions where she had lived. A few days later, Mary flew back to Malawi. We are still in touch."