More than 100 health and social care experts gathered a meeting on how to help end female genital mutilation.

Held at Hornsey School for Girls, the meeting was opened by MP for Hornsey and Wood Green Lynne Featherstone and included speeches from campaigners Nimco Ali and Alimatu Dimonekene.

During the opening session, students from Hornsey School for Girls presented a dramatic piece.

Ms Featherstone said: “FGM is an unacceptable practice. In a truly fair society, where everyone has equal opportunity to get on, FGM would not happen. That’s why we have to keep working together and raising awareness until the day when no girl is at risk of FGM.

“Thanks to brave campaigners like Nimco and Alimatu, ending FGM is now very much on the agenda. As a minister for development and now crime prevention, I have worked with them and my team in government to launch a £35 million programme to support the movement to end FGM, and more recently, to announce mandatory reporting.

“And of course, I want to tackle FGM and protect girls locally, too. That’s why I put together the conference – and it was fantastic to see professionals from across North London come together to discuss how to work together to prevent FGM.”