Prosecutors from across the UK have signed up to new commitments to tackle human trafficking.

Alison Saunders, director of public prosecutions for England and Wales, is hosting a meeting in London on Friday looking at ways organisations can work together to react to the changing nature of trafficking around the world.

The summit follows a similar one in October 2014 at the Scottish Parliament in which agencies fighting crime were brought together for the first time to discuss how best to detect and prosecute cases.

Since then, Holyrood has passed legislation which creates a specific offence of human trafficking as well as increasing the maximum penalty for offenders to life imprisonment.

Ms Saunders, Scotland's lord advocate and the public prosecutor for Northern Ireland have now signed up to an action plan. The director of public prosecutions for Ireland also took part in discussions.

The commitments set out ways in which the three organisations will work closely together in order to disrupt networks, prosecute traffickers and safeguard victims' rights.

Speaking ahead of the summit, Scotland's top law officer lord advocate Frank Mulholland QC said the meeting with the heads of prosecution was vital.

"This offending doesn't recognise nationalities or borders, it exploits the vulnerable, it exploits people who are economically poor wanting a better life," he said.

"There's been a whole series of meetings in the intervening period from 2014 resulting in this agreement which will be published.

"There are three main themes to it. Firstly, there's co-operation - which is unprecedented, I think, across one area of criminality.

"The heads of prosecution have agreed to work together, to share information, to meet and share intelligence and evidence if there are any cases which cross borders.

"The second element is to agree that there is a real focus on the victim of human trafficking where the complex dynamic is that victims don't often know they are victims because of the nature of the crime, the grooming, the coercive control and the dependence the victim has on the trafficker.

"The third aspect of the agreement is training and sharing knowledge so that we have our prosecutors skilled up as best as possible with the most up-to-date intelligence and information available."

Ms Saunders said: "Trafficking and slavery are abhorrent crimes.

"The profile of trafficking continues to change and signing up to these commitments means that we can work more effectively across the UK in order to tackle these crimes.

"We are committed to working with our prosecuting partners and police forces at home and abroad in order to bring the strongest possible cases against those who seek to traffic and enslave."

Earlier in the week, it was announced that new laws to tackle human trafficking which allow life sentences for offenders will come into force in Scotland at the end of May.

The Human Trafficking and Exploitation Bill strengthens existing criminal law and enhances the status of and support for victims.

It creates a specific offence of human trafficking for the first time as well as increasing the maximum penalty for traffickers.

Justice secretary Michael Matheson has set out the date of May 31 for introducing the new single offence and also a new offence of slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. Police and the courts will have new powers to confiscate and seize property used for human trafficking from the same date.

Mr Matheson said: "Human trafficking and exploitation brings misery for its victims and we will not tolerate this heinous crime in Scotland.

"Bringing in a new offence for trafficking will ensure those who seek to peddle human misery can face the toughest possible penalties while also providing greater protections for their victims.

"We are clarifying and strengthening the criminal law around trafficking and exploitation, and giving police and prosecutors further tools to track down and prosecute criminals."