Jasvinder Sanghera, who describes herself as a "forced-marriage survivor", told yesterday's conference not to be afraid of cultural sensitivities over the issue.

After her family showed her a photo of the man she would marry, Miss Sanghera ran away from her home at the age of 15.

She was subsequently disowned by her relatives.

Now leading the Karma Nirvana charity to help victims of forced marriages, Miss Sanghera urged Oxfordshire organisations to start looking deeper into the problem.

She said: "They need confidence in this area and do not need to fear cultural sensitivities or fear being called a racist.

"There should be no fear of getting it wrong or tip-toeing around the issue.

"The message was very strong - it is about child protection and human rights.

"Cultural acceptance does not mean accepting the unacceptable."

Miss Sanghera said a forced-marriage helpline set up by Cleveland Police, in an area with just one per cent ethnic minorities, had received 125 calls since last November.

That had resulted in a total of 25 direct police investigations.

In Luton, an area with a high ethnic population, there were more than 300 forced marriages reported last year.

She said: "We need to have these crimes reported, only then can you start seeing the pattern.

"I believe it is the same in Oxford, where there are many students and colleges.

"You have to remember it cuts across all classes.

"It does not stop here.

"This conference will springboard further work and I will certainly be back in Oxford with Karma Nirvana."

*Anyone seeking help on forced marriages can contact the Karma Nirvana charity on 01332 604098 or the Foreign Office's Forced Marriage Unit on 020 7008 0151 and fmu@fco.gov.uk