‘I just can’t believe this has happened in our area’

Ashford Borough Councillor (ABC) Jenny Webb, who represents Norman ward, which includes Beaver Road North said she was shocked to hear of the raid.

She said: “I didn’t know there was anything like that in this area and, as far as I’m aware, the residents didn’t either.

“I think it’s good the police are actually cracking down on awful situations like this and taking them seriously.”

When asked if she had noticed a rise in people coming and going from the property, Mrs Webb said such a thing is not unusual any more.

She added: “We probably don’t necessarily take any notice of many people coming and going from a property because of the rise in Houses of Multiple Occupancy.

“These properties change tenants every six months and often have people in and out so people may not suspect anything unusual.

“But this is a huge shock and I’m dumbstruck this has been going on in our area and under our noses.

“Trafficking is an absolutely awful thing, the women are often bought into this country and told they are being taken to a job but instead they are abused and misused. It is slavery.

“I really do hope these young girls get the proper help and support they need.

“Well done to the police.” Police “freed” four young women from a suspected brothel in South Ashford as part of a county-wide police crackdown on modern slavery.

The eastern European women in their 20s are believed to be victims of sextrafficking. They were freed from the end-of-terrace house in Beaver Road North during police raid on Monday but there were no arrests.

Police said the women were promised jobs in beauty and farming but instead are thought to have been subjected to daily sexual assaults.

A second raid was carried out in Ashford last Friday, Det Ch Supt Rob Fordham where officers found three people in their 20s but no arrests were made.

Both swoops came as part of a police pledge to combat modern-day slavery by cracking down on criminal gangs who traffic women to Kent for sex.

Officers across the county have been taking part in a Europe-wide week of action.

Operation Perceptional saw officers raid dozens of properties.

Det Ch Supt Rob Fordham said: “The victims are con- trolled in such a way it’s very difficult and rare for them to come forward. Many of them have been forced into prostitution and have their passports, phones and documents taken away.

“They’ve often been subjected to sexual abuse for many days, weeks and sometimes months, and they can also be violently attacked by clients and traffickers.”

Raising public awareness of modern slavery and the signs to look out for have also played a key role in this twoweek campaign.

Mr Fordham added: “This can happen in any neighbourhood. Usually the brothels are rented properties and are used for about six months before the traffickers move on.

“People will normally see a steady stream of male visitors, day or night, who tend to stay for short periods of time.”

In April, police launched an investigation after a documentary appeared to show modern slavery at car wash sites in Canterbury and Chatham. Managers at USA Car wash strongly denied the claims made in an Al Jazeera documentary, which alleged up to six workers were being made to sleep in dingy cabins and paid well below the minimum wage.

For more information and support visit www.modernslavery.co.uk or if you want to report cases of slavery call 101

Police carrying out the raid at an address in Ashford