POLICE visited two business premises in Barrow and spoke to 12 individuals as part of a crackdown to target potential illegal activity in relation to modern day slavery.
The visits took place this week, and police were joined by colleagues from HSE and UK Immigration Enforcement.
All visits were at local businesses –one in Carlisle on Monday, and two in Barrow yesterday.
A total of 15 people in Carlisle, and 12 in Barrow, were spoken with during the visit and included a mix of men and women. No offences were identified regarding modern day slavery legislation and no offences were identified in terms of immigration offences.
DI Craig Smith said:
“The aim of these visits are to ensure that appropriate safeguarding is in place around employees, and that employees are legitimately in the UK and in possession of relevant paperwork.
“Our priority on visits such as these is to safeguard any individuals who may be being exploited and work with partners to ensure their safety. Once we have looked at protecting any vulnerable people, we will then start to examine any other criminal activity that may also be taking place.”
Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall said: “The police activity unfortunately demonstrates that modern slavery is a sad reality here in Cumbria but it is one that we will not accept. If anyone has information or concerns about this type of crime they should contact the police.
"The impact on victims and their families is considerable often involving intimidation, violence and even imprisonment. Victims can be terrified and feel there is no way out. We will do all we can to stop this awful crime.”
The visits are part of a regional campaign focused on asking members of the public whether they would recognise the signs of modern day slavery. You can follow the campaign on social media via #wouldyou. Signs that someone is being exploited could include:
• Scared and withdrawn
• No confidence
• Unexplained injuries
• May live and work in same place
• No access to passport or documents
• Limited contact with family, or outside world
• Doesn’t know home or work address
• Forced or intimidated to work, with low or no pay
• Distrustful
• Poor hygiene and unkempt appearance
• Speaks little English
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