Child labour is on the decline for the first time worldwide and could, in its worst forms, be wiped out within a decade, according to the International Labour Organisation.

The upbeat forecast was based on a study that found the number of children aged between five and 17 who were trapped in labour fell 11 per cent over four years to 218m by 2004. The decline was even sharper for children exposed to hazardous work, with a fall of 26 per cent to 126m.