"AN ARSENAL of professional weaponry" is needed to tackle modern slavery in a county according to a leading councillor.

Cllr Martin Phillips, Bucks County Council cabinet member for community engagement and public health, has criticised central government for failing to provide extra funding to tackle the issue as the council aims to produce an action plan.

A report, heard at the transport, environment and communities select committee on Tuesday last week, stated that research into the issue would help to focus activity on those who are likely to be victims and offenders and identify the extent of the problem, but cllr Phillips feels that funding is needed to do it.

He said: "Without proper funding, it feels a bit like a Dad's Army exercise, with broomsticks, picks and shovels, to tackle an important issue that demands an arsenal of professional weaponry."

Funding for the programme will need to be diverted from existing funds in the community safety budget for 2016/17, as well as from bidding for cash from partnership resources.

The Safer and Stronger Bucks Partnership Board, set up in 2015, is a combination of boards and groups that commissioned the research into modern slavery in Bucks which is due to be completed in the next couple of weeks.

Martha Edwards, community safety co-ordinator at Bucks County Council, said a lot of modern slavery was linked to serious organised crime. She added: "We really have limited knowledge of the issue in Bucks.

"The research will try to estimate the number of cases and what is known about offenders and victims, as well as potential locations.

"We need to draft and present the action plan to the partnership board, hopefully in October, and as we learn more about modern slavery we will be able to develop the plan further."

There is an estimated 100 victims of modern slavery in Bucks, using national figures from the Chief Scientific Advisor and relating it to population size for the county, although there are no confirmed figures for Bucks.

Victoria Butler, Thames Valley Police intelligence development officer for modern slavery, added that there had been a "massive increase" in the reporting of modern slavery incidents, as well as the amount of intelligence that police have been able to gather.