Former Keighley MP Ann Cryer, who campaigned to outlaw forced marriages, has welcomed new laws which will see parents who force their children to marry face jail.

Mrs Cryer, who during her 13 years as Keighley’s Labour MP helped countless people battling forced marriages, has said the move should deter families from forcing children into marriage.

Home Secretary Theresa May has announced plans to make forced marriage an offence following warnings that up to 8,000 young women a year are forced into marriages without their consent.

Mrs Cryer, who brought the issue to the attention of Parliament and helped steer the Forced Marriages and Civil Protection Act 2008 through the Commons, said the law needed to work alongside the Forced Marriage Civil Protection Orders and the Forced Marriage Unit.

She said: “My message to families who are still forcing girls into marriage is that it’s totally un-Islamic. They shouldn’t be doing it and therefore if you persist in doing it there’s a chance you can end up in prison due to this new measure.”