Three women 'held as slaves for 30 years' rescued in London

Three women, who were held as slaves for about 30 years, have been 'rescued' from a south London house by the British police.

Last month officers were contacted by Freedom Charity after it received a call from a woman saying she had been held against her will for decades.

A Malaysian woman, 69, an Irish woman, 57, and a British woman, 30, were rescued from the house on 25 October, the BBC reports.

The women, who are said to be 'highly traumatised', were found after telephonic conversations between the charity and the 57-year-old, who had secretly gained access to a phone.

The women were rescued after a number of phone conversations over a week, and they eventually left the property when the owners of the house were not around, the charity said.

The women were then met by police and representatives from the group, and were then moved to a safe location.

The 30-year-old had spent her whole life in captivity. Officers are trying to establish whether she was born in the house.

Police said the relationship between the women was being investigated.