Teacher Jeremy Canuto, of Devizes, was so horrified by the plight of child prostitutes in Cambodia that he has set up a charity.

Mr Canuto, 34, said the idea to form a charity was entirely by chance and was a life-changing moment.

He said: “I happened to watch a documentary called The Virginity Trade Cambodia one evening and was so moved by the struggle of these girls that I wanted to do something to help.”

Mr Canuto resigned from his role as a fundraising manager at Age UK, moved to Vietnam in February 2012 and began to work as an English teacher.

He said: “My charity is set up to help children as young as six escape brothels in Cambodia and give them a chance at having a normal life.”

Mr Canuto, who attended Potterne Primary School and Devizes School, has been planning the charity, called A Chance in Life, for more than a year and officially launched it last month, along with a website and Facebook page.

He wants to raise £5,000 so that he can register the charity in the UK and can apply for funding from grants and charitable trusts.

He said the money raised so far – about £2,000 – has come out of his own pocket.

Mr Canuto, who has a fiancee, said: “Moving to Vietnam allowed me to be very close to the issues I knew about in Cambodia.

“I have spent the last year and a half going over to Cambodia as often as possible to study the problem and come up with some way to help. I have met some amazing people and have been moved by the poverty and suffering which goes on there.

“My reason for living in Vietnam is that wages are much higher there than in Cambodia and therefore I am able to work less and devote more time to my charity.”

His initial aim for the charity was to provide a safe house for girls sold into prostitution and, where possible, they would be returned to their families.

For those unable to return home, he proposes to set up a small centre run by Cambodians to offer the girls counselling.

The charity has two volunteers based in Cambodia and six in Vietnam and Mr Canuto is in the process of recruiting a board of trustees.

Once the charity grows, Mr Canuto will relocate to Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

For more information, visit www.achanceinlife.org