Shropshire people urged to help tackle labour exploitation

One of the incidents saw a Bulgarian man and woman arrested in Telford during two separate joint police and Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) operations.

Also referred to as modern slavery, labour exploitation involves people being forced to work for little or no pay – being hit, threatened, denied access to their passport or made to live in poor and overcrowded conditions.

The types of work which are commonly involved in labour exploitation in the West Mercia force area include warehousing, logistics, agriculture, food processing and packing, car washes and barbers.

Hidden

Martin Evans, assistant chief constable of West Mercia Police, said: "People need to be aware that modern slavery is something that can happen anywhere and that they can help us to tackle this serious and brutal crime.

"While reports of modern slavery and human trafficking in West Mercia are relatively low, with 45 incidents reported to us in the year to December 2018, this is largely thought to be because it remains quite a hidden crime. This is why we need the public to be aware of the issue and report any concerns to us."

After acting on information from the public, two people were arrested in Telford in July 2018 on suspicion of exploiting Bulgarian workers.

A Bulgarian man and woman were both handed Labour Market Enforcement Undertakings – an agreement to restore and maintain compliance with UK legislation that can be removed if achieved or stay enforced for two years – by the GLAA.

Ian Waterfield, director of operations at GLAA said: "In both of these cases, officers acted following intelligence that the suspects had been financially exploiting Bulgarian workers who had recently arrived in the UK.

"This demonstrates the important role the public can play in spotting the signs of labour exploitation and reporting it."

Signs to look for in workers include:

• Not having enough food or money to buy food

• Being scared and alone

• Always wearing the same clothes that may not be suitable for work

• Overcrowded accommodation

• Living and working at the same location

• Unusual travel and work times

During 2018, West Mercia Police referred 66 potential victims of modern slavery into the UK National Referral Mechanism (NRM), a national framework to ensure they receive the appropriate support.

Referrals to the NRM can only be made by authorised agencies known as First Responders. Authorised agencies in the UK are the police force, the UK border force, Home Office Immigration and Visas, Social Services and certain non-governmental organisations.

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: "I promised our communities I would work to protect the most vulnerable people in our society and that is at the heart of this issue.

"While West Mercia is a safe area, we are not immune to the problem of human trafficking and modern slavery, which often happens away from public view.

"We can all play an important role in exposing the issue and tackling it. I will continue to support our police and partners to ensure everything possible is being done to make that happen".

To report signs of labour exploitation, call the police on 101, modern slavery helpline on 08000 121 700 or the GLAA on 0800 432 0804.