A survey carried out by child slavery charity Ecpat UK, seen exclusively by The Independent,reveals that the overwhelming majority of professionals who come into contact with trafficked children do not believe that the system ensures appropriate safeguarding for young victims.

Just seven per cent of respondents said the NRM always provides adequate protection, while more than one in 10 said it never met this objective and 31 per cent said it rarely did. Four in five respondents did not believe that NRM decisions were made in a suitable timeframe, and that the process is not in the best interests of the child.

One 15-year-old British girl was referred to the NRM in April last year over concerns that she was being sexually exploited and trafficked after police found her in possession of Class A drugs and condoms.

Jo, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, was placed in an emergency foster placement in another county, but was stopped the next day by British Transport Police trying to board a train back to where she had been discovered.

It took seven months for the first decision on her identification as a victim of trafficking to come through, despite the fact that a first-stage decision should be made within five days. Although this was positive, no practical support was provided as a result of this or the referral being made.