Bedfordshire Police say they’ve identified over 100 children in the county who could be victims of modern slavery, as part of their work to crack down on modern slavery, human trafficking and organised immigration crime.
Data from the Home Office revealed that 402 referrals were made to Bedfordshire Police by the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2021, with 109 of those identified as children aged 17 and under.
The figures put Bedfordshire as the ninth highest of every police force area in the country for modern slavery referrals, and higher than other larger force areas such as Northern Ireland and Merseyside.
Labour exploitation is the most frequently reported exploitation type.
Operation Aidant
Bedfordshire Police work with local partners and national agencies, such as the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).
Together they carry out proactive days of action to combat all types of exploitation linked to organised crime.
These include modern slavery, human trafficking and organised immigration crime.
This is carried out under Operation Aidant, a national initiative to tackle these types of crime, as well as raising awareness on what to look out for and identifying potential victims.
Over the last few months, Bedfordshire Police have visited several car washes and nail bars across the county and spoken with owners and managers, as well as staff, to identify victims.
Read: Bedfordshire Police target car washes as part of clamp down on modern slavery
A number of lorries using Toddington Services on the M1 were also targeted and searched as part of Operation Thomond.
This location has been identified as a place that is used by human traffickers to collect people who have been smuggled into the country.
Last month three men were also charged with a number of modern slavery offences as part of a drugs supply investigation in Biggleswade and Sandy.
“Modern slavery is becoming more common”
Detective Inspector Alison Whitworth, the force lead for modern slavery, said: “Unfortunately modern slavery, and in particular labour exploitation, is becoming more and more common everywhere, and Bedfordshire is no exception.
“Vulnerable people are trafficked into or around the UK to carry out manual work. Their exploiters often take their passports from them, and they may be made to live in poor conditions with no means of leaving.”
Modern Slavery recently received widespread attention after Olympian Sir Mo Farah said he was trafficked to the UK as a child and forced to work as a domestic servant in a BBC documentary.
DI Whitworth says this has been “pivotal” in raising awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking.
“Our officers are doing a great job in investigating and uncovering these types of crimes, as well as ensuring the victims are supported and safeguarded, but we also need members of the public to speak out and report any suspicions they may have.
“Tackling exploitation is everyone’s business and we all have a duty to be vigilant in spotting the signs,” she added.
To find out more about the different types of exploitation, the signs to look out for or what to do if you think someone is being exploited, you can visit the Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation website.
Anyone with information or concerns about modern slavery can report via the Bedfordshire Police website or call 101. Please call 999 in an emergency.
You can also report anonymously and in confidence to the Modern Slavery Helpline via 08000 121 700.
