SCOTLAND's chief ­prosecutor has warned his office is not getting enough people trafficking cases to take to court.

Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland QC, speaking during a summit with colleagues from across Britain and Ireland, said: "It is clear from Police Scotland and the National Crime Agency that we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

"There is quite a large gap between the number of victims and the number of cases that are reported to prosecutors. We want more cases. But this is a complex area where many victims don't realise they are a victim and where there can be an emotional economic bond with the perpetrator."

The summit, hosted by Mr Mulholland in Holyrood, is the first of its kind to cover the entire archipelago, including the Republic of Ireland, and comes three years after Scotland's first successful prosecution of the crime involved women being moved across the North Channel. The UK National Crime Agency this year identified 55 Scottish potential victims - although law enforcement agencies admit they are "unsighted".

Mr Mulholland said: "People trafficking just doesn't fit the stereotype of women chained to radiators for sex. In many cases it's a lot subtler with grooming; with dependency between victims and traffickers. There may be no violence. We've seen cases down south where people, including learning disabled ­individuals, are working for bed and board and it's basically slavery.

"UK nationals are now third on the league table of victims. The notion this only happens in Asia or ­Eastern Europe is wrong. It happens in Scotland too, unfortunately."