Harriet Harman is launching a drive to galvanise a European-wide response against trafficking young women and girls for prostitution.

Speaking to the Guardian, the solicitor general argued that law enforcement agencies have to be radical in prosecuting men who have sex with underage and trafficked women.

"There is only the prospect of the trafficking situation getting worse unless we do something about it," she said.

"Either more lives are going to be ruined, or we have to face this and crack down."