Detectives have discovered eight cases of forced marriages involving male victims, but have been unable to bring prosecutions because bridegrooms refused to give evidence against their families.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials, who investigate between 200 and 300 forced marriages each year, say that at least 15 per cent feature men victims. The issue will be raised today at a conference hosted by Scotland Yard in London on so-called honour violence.

With the scale of the crime becoming increasingly apparent, Home Office officials are considering opening a refuge for bridegrooms in enforced marriages. Some have been abducted, intimidated or beaten.

A network of agencies offers help to women in forced marriages but community workers say that the plight of unwilling bridegrooms has largely been ignored.

Men who leave forced marriages are often too scared to stay in their communities for fear of retribution or they find themselves ostracised. The Council of British Pakistanis estimates that 38 per cent of forced marriages could involve reluctant men. Many cases originate in South Asia, but British officials also have seen examples from East Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Sometimes the parents have made promises in their home countries before their son was born. Sometimes the arrangements have been made with the parents of cousins to keep property within a family.

There have also been cases where parents are concerned that their sons are gay, straying into bad company, becoming involved in crime or are going out with a woman from outside the community. Foreign Office officials say that in some cases the men are deceived into flying to India, Pakistan or Bangladesh to see relatives. They find themselves stranded in a rural village, their passports are taken from them and they are placed under extraordinary pressure.

British High Commission staff have managed to rescue men after they manage to make contact. In one case, a young man was allowed to go shopping and was then picked up by diplomats. waiting in a car.

“There is also the risk of being killed by the girl’s relatives,” said Huma Awan, who drew up research for the council. “They have access to guns and honour killings have happened in Britain.”

Police say that sons may find themselves being attacked by their fathers, brothers and uncles and there is also great emotional pressure. Detective Inspector Jim Blair, a member of Scotland Yard’s forced marriage unit, said that the pressure was difficult to resist in societies where elders were always respected and obeyed.

Mr Blair said that during talks with young Asians in parts of London it had become clear that the forced marriages were far from uncommon.

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