Thousands of women and girls have been treated in London hospitals for the effects of female genital mutilation, suggesting that many more have received similar treatment nationwide.
Nearly 4,000 women and girls, some of them born in the UK, were treated for FGM in hospitals across the capital since 2009, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Campaigners said the London figures, obtained by BBC News, suggested there were thousands of women across Britain suffering the after-effects of FGM while many girls also live under threat of mutilation.