HAVING met her future husband and his family when they paid her a visit in Pakistan, Serena Hussain was looking forward to living with them in the UK.

But on arrival at their home in Manchester, the former journalist found a different reception.

Three days into her marriage, her husband told her he had a girlfriend that he would not be giving up.

Her mother-in-law was abusive and beat her – on one occasion burning Serena’s legs with burning oil from a cooking pan.

And when the proud mum-to-be announced she was expecting her first baby, the family told her it would not be welcome and booked her an appointment for an abortion. With little English and no understanding of how the UK worked, the 29-year-old immigrant felt trapped and helpless.

“My mother-in-law said to me, ‘You have no rights’,” said Serena.

“I wasn’t allowed to go outside. I didn’t understand how the UK worked. I felt very isolated.”

Luckily, her sister – a social worker in Norway – was more clued up and phoned the police on Serena’s behalf.