Workers sleeping in sheds, paid £10 for 18-hour days

A DETECTIVE who is leading the fight against modern-day slavery in Leicestershire says her officers have rescued victims from squalid overcrowded homes and found evidence of people being forced to work 18-hour days for as little as £10.

In the most disturbing cases yet uncovered by Leicestershire Police, workers – most of them overseas nationals – have been found in tattered clothing and sleeping in sheds, on floors or “hot-bedding” – that is, taking turns to sleep in a bed.

The victims are working in a range of areas including building sites, nail bars, car washes and in “pop-up brothels”.

Detective Inspector Jenni Heggs gave an insight into the rapid growth in the team’s caseload as officers and the public learn more about nature and scale of modern slavery in the city and county.

In 2015, when the Modern Slavery Act was introduced, the force investigated 12 reports of the crime. In the first six months of 2019, officers opened more than 100 investigations.

Det Insp Heggs said: “We’ve recovered people living in sheds, in clothing full of holes and with no access to toilets or bathrooms. In another case, we recovered a number of foreign nationals all of whom were, we believe, being made to work 18 hours a day in other counties.

“A number of them were sleeping in one bed. There wasn’t enough floor space for them to sleep. People were taking it in turns to sleep for two to three hours and there were people sleeping in the cupboard.

“Those were the most extreme cases. “Modern slavery has always existed but now it is recognised as a crime. It is hidden and it affects the most vulnerable people in society, the people who don’t have a voice.

“Some people are looked after, fed, clothed and provided with accommodation. But they are still victims of modern-day slavery. “Car washes come up a lot and so do nail bars. So do what we call ‘pop-up’ brothels. We’re very proactive around popups.

“We’ve rescued people from them and arrested people from them. “There are also reports coming out of the textiles industry. We are just one of these agencies and we have a limited number of pairs of eyes.

“That’s why we need people’s help.

“Slavery does not necessarily mean people being beaten or even threatened with violence – although those things do happen. The majority of our victims are foreign nationals. We don’t see it in every case, but we’ve seen people who’ve had all their documents taken from them. We are only scratching the surface.”

The Modern Slavery Act was introduced in 2015.

So far, only a relatively small number of cases have gone before the courts in Leicestershire.

Recently, a court heard a Leicestershire man was forced to live in a shed in his abusers’ back yard and survived on a diet of cold beans and rice pudding before he was rescued and his abductors brought to justice.

Police and crime commissioner, Lord (Willy) Bach, said: “It’s a sad fact that many of the victims are too scared to come forward and report what is happening to them, even if they have the opportunity. “Sadder still some victims do not even understand this is not a normal way to live.

“This is why it is so important we raise awareness of the signs to watch out for and that we encourage people with concerns to come forward.”

Contact police on 101 or the Modern Slavery helpline on 08000 121 700.

A number of them were sleeping in one bed. People were taking it in turns to sleep for two or three hours