Kids as young as four are sold and then raped

CAR boss Peter Vardy was so traumatised by child sex trafficking in Cambodia that he couldn’t sleep at night — and now he’s vowed to help tragic victims.

The 31-year-old visited the Asian country several years ago and was shocked that families were selling their kids as young as FOUR to pimps.

He’s now teamed up with Swiss-based charity Hagar International to launch a campaign tomorrow to raise cash for forgotten victims.

The charity — which has taken a battering in the recession — needs £40,000 to build a new shelter in the country, and Peter is aiming to raise another £60,000 to help it survive.

Peter, from Durham, said: “I was left numb with horror. It’s hard to understand just how bad the poverty is.

“I was aware of children being sold by their families to pimps just to buy a fridge. That child is then at the mercy of rape and torture. If you walk onto the streets of Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh, within seconds you will be offered the chance to have sex with a girl or boy of any age.

“The damage done to these kids is immeasurable. That’s why we need to keep this organisation alive.

We want to help Hagar build a new shelter for the abused kids, to protect them so they get the chance to be educated.”

Peter — grandson of car magnate Reg Vardy — has started a new Vardy empire in Scotland with showrooms in Motherwell, Kirkcaldy, Edinburgh and Perth.

Last year Vardy’s showrooms raised £35,000 to help build water filters for 1,400 communities in the country, estimated to save one child’s life every month.

He even returned to Cambodia to help build the water filters. And now he’s urging employees to back the new campaign.

Peter added: “Colleagues throughout the dealership will be involved in sponsored events. They have really enjoyed being part of the process.”