CALLS to a trafficking charity, Unseen UK, have risen 20 per cent since Sir Mo Farah revealed in a documentary that he was trafficked to the UK as a child.

The 39-year-old Olympic champion revealed in the BBC documentary entitled The Real Mo Farah how he was brought to Britain from Somalia illegally.

He assumed the name after another child after his father had been killed in the civil war.

The charity told the BBC it had seen a 20 per cent rise in calls and a 15 per cent rise in overall contact since the report aired earlier this month.

Mo Farah BBC documentary 

Charity director Justine Carter told the broadcaster some callers had explicitly mentioned Sir Mo as a prompt for reaching out.

She said: “It shows us that these types of high-profile stories really do have an impact with the public, and it’s resonating with those who might have spotted something concerning or might have been in a situation that’s similar to Sir Mo’s and the story that he told to the BBC.

“People feel very alone and isolated when they’re in that situation themselves, so knowing that somebody else has been a victim of this type of crime – and is still suffering from all of the experiences that they’ve had as a child – I think is really crucial.”

Sir Mo Farah revealed in the documentary that he was helped to obtain a UK citizenship by his school PE teacher, Alan Watkinson, while still using the name Mohammed Farah.

Ahead of the broadcast, Sir Mo said he created the documentary for his family.

He wrote on Instagram: “I’m so proud to have represented Great Britain and to achieve what I have as a GB athlete.

“But, my proudest achievement will always be being a husband and father to my amazing family.

“I did this documentary for them, so they could understand more about the experiences that led us to becoming the family we are today.

“Not every child will have the easiest start in life, but that doesn’t mean they can’t go on to achieve their dreams.

“I hope you’ll all watch later and I can’t wait to hear what you think.”

The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into the trafficking claims, while the Home Office confirmed they would take no action against Sir Mo.