AN international child sex trafficking conference is taking place in Blackburn today.

Trix Marais, from Child Welfare South Africa, has flown in from Cape Town to speak at the first conference of its kind hosted by Blackburn College.

She will be joined by Karen Sizeland from EXPAT and Sue Skipper, from the college’s lecturing team.

Blackburn with Darwen’s special Engage team, which investigates child grooming, will also attend.

Lecturer Susan Skipper said: “The aim of the event is all about awareness raising.

“We’re bringing together experts and people with an interest in the topic to encourage joined-up thinking in an area that has recently been brought to attention by several BBC documentaries and terrible natural disasters which have in some countries exacerbated the situation.”