NEWPORT-born Hollywood star Michael Sheen OBE called for action to fight human trafficking and modern slavery in Wales at a conference in the Celtic Manor today.

Mr Sheen, a UNICEF UK ambassador, said that he’s proud of Wales for leading the way in the fight against modern slavery and human trafficking.

“Wales is a leader in the UK and in the world,” he said. “Wales is about to introduce a code of practice for ethical employment in supply chains.

“I hope it won’t be long until others across Wales sign up to it.

“By working together, we can stop unfair practices.”

Mr Sheen said that he admires the humanity of the Welsh people and that he’s proud that the country has welcomed refugees.

“My home town Port Talbot was one of the first local authorities to receive them,” he said.

The Welsh actor began supporting Unicef UK in 2010 and since then he has continued to advocate for children’s rights in the UK and internationally, visiting Unicef projects in Wales and across the world.

He said: “Europe is shutting its doors.

“Tens of thousands of children are now stranded in Italy, Greece, turning to traffickers and smugglers in their desperation to reach their destination.

“Estates should be building child protection systems, instead of building higher walls.

“The plight of these children is not by their choice nor within their control.

“They need protection, they have a right to protection.

"Children may be refugees, internally displaced or migrants, but they are first and foremost children.”

Mr Sheen was speaking at the Welsh-government conference held on anti-slavery day, created to raise awareness of modern slavery and to inspire government, business and individuals to eliminate it.

“We’re going to make Wales hostile to slavery, we’re going to make it a better place for survivors,” said conference chair and Welsh Government’s Anti-Slavery Co-ordinator Stephen Chapman. “From this fine building we’re here today, you can see a hill where a man was kept for 13 years.

“Slavery is alive, it’s thriving.”

In 2014, Peterstone farm boss David Daniel Doran Jr was jailed for four-and-a-half years after admitting he had forced Darrell Simester to work without pay for 13 years.

Operation Imperial, which was originally started to investigate the disappearance of Mr Simester, has led to further arrests, including Patrick Joseph Connors, 59, and his 39-year-old son Patrick Dean Connors, 39, both of Greenway Road, Rumney, Cardiff, as well as William Connors, 36, of Trowbridge Green, Cardiff and Lee Christopher Carbis, 34, of Witla Court Road, Rumney.

The four members of the same family were jailed for 27 years in May for their parts in treating two vulnerable men as 'slaves'.