Gordon Brown today promised an investigation after it emerged that a children’s home near Heathrow airport has been used as a clearing house by traffickers who have sold dozens of Chinese youngsters into slavery, prostitution or the drugs trade.

The Prime Minister told the Commons that the Government would investigate a practice which he condemned as “completely unacceptable and inhumane”.

The news emerged in a leaked document from the UK Border Agency, obtained by The Guardian newspaper, that said that at least 77 Chinese children have gone missing from the care home run by the London borough of Hillingdon since March 2006.

“Anything that we can do to stop child trafficking, we will," said Mr Brown, at Prime Minister's Questions.

“I will investigate, with the Home Secretary, the reports that are in the newspaper this morning. We will do everything that we can to protect these children and we are leading internationally in asking other countries to help us ban the practice of trafficking children.”

The report, marked “restricted”, revealed how unaccompanied Chinese children arriving at Heathrow are picked up by the immigration authorities as they pass through border controls, and taken into local authority care - only for them to run away within days voluntarily to rejoin their traffickers.

It said that 10 children had jumped out of windows, some had disappeared during fire drills, while others simply walked out of the building into waiting cars. It is believed many are then sold into prostitution and forced labour.

Only four were found. Two girls, one of them pregnant, later reappeared after being forced to work in brothels in the Midlands.

The document said the missing children were victims of an international trafficking network with agents based in countries including China, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia and Kenya.

Chris Grayling, the Shadow Home Secretary, said that the leaked report highlighted a scandalous situation.

“To have such a large number of children going missing when they are supposed to be in care is unacceptable," he said. "We need an urgent explanation from the Home Secretary.”

Hillingdon council said that the disappearances appeared to be planned and coordinated by criminal gangs.

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