Services named as trafficking hot spot

A SERVICE station has been named by police as a hot spot for human trafficking.

Heywood’s Birch Services, on the M62, is used as by traffickers as a dumping ground for illegal immigrants who are looking to seek asylum, or further travel, police said.

Gail Hopper, director of Children’s Services, said Rochdale Council, is looking after 10 times more unaccompanied asylum seekers than two years ago, and it costs around £50,000 each a year to look after each child.

She said efforts are underway to disrupt the criminals behind trafficking. in the area.

She told ITV News: “It’s the criminality that we’re really concerned about.

“People are financially benefiting from either trafficking or smuggling people into the country, and no-one seems to be addressing it which is why locally we’re working as a partnership to try and disrupt it ourselves.”

Inspector Paul Wood, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “Operation Birch is a joint approach between GMP and Rochdale Council in response to an increase in human trafficking concentrated around the Rochdale area – specifically in and around Birch Services at Heywood.

“We have been working closely with Rochdale Council over the past eight weeks to identify and target offenders, and will continue to support our partners as we crackdown on this area of criminality across Greater Manchester.”

A Moto spokesman said: “We are aware of the issue at Birch regarding people trafficking and we are helping the police and local agencies in whatever way we can.”

A Heywood councillor has condemned the traffickers. Coun for North Heywood, Liam O’Rourke said: “Human trafficking is a dreadful crime. We have to do our best to eradicate it.

“People who take advantage of other people should be punished. Any resources that the police, council, authorities or government can put towards it would be more than welcome.”