Guidance has been published by the Scottish Government to help businesses identify and prevent human trafficking.

It calls on local firms to carry out checks to ensure workers have access to their identification documents and provide employees with training to spot the signs of exploitation.

Under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, companies with a turnover of at least £36million are legally required to publish an annual Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement.

However, research undertaken by the government shows a “significant minority” of businesses do not appear to have published statements.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has also announced he will write to all major Scottish companies who appear not to have met their duty.

He said: “Human trafficking and exploitation prey on the most vulnerable in society.

“Often hidden in plain sight and in legitimate businesses, these offences are on the increase worldwide.

“Since our Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy was published in 2017, we have made significant progress but businesses need to understand the risks and tackle the conditions that foster these crimes.

“With investors increasingly focusing on human trafficking as a business risk, this is one issue that boards simply cannot afford to ignore.”

Mr Yousaf said the new guidance offers practical advice that should be useful for businesses of all sizes.

He added: “I hope it will help more companies to identify trafficking and exploitation across their operations, including in their supply chains.

“Our biggest firms must lead by example, ensuring they are not complicit in these horrendous crimes, and that is why I am writing to companies to demand urgent action.”