Family found living off rainwater from rusty can in a Derbyshire field – Derby Telegraph

A family of human trafficking victims was discovered cowering under tarpaulin in a Derbyshire field, drinking rainwater from a rusty can to survive.

It is just one example of the disturbing crime revealed by police, who say they have dealt with nearly 300 reports of suspected human trafficking in the last few months in Derbyshire.

In Derby, other victims were found being paid a wage of 33p an hour while being plied with cheap vodka.

Now police have issued a list of tell-tale signs of trafficking victims and asked the public to help spot them. They say "modern slaves" have been found working in prostitution, nail bars, car washes and the building trade but officers say it could be any area of work.

They say trafficking victims can be refugees in the country illegally, and therefore reluctant or unable to approach authorities for help when exploit. They could also be people who come here for legitimate work but then lose that job and fall on hard times, becoming susceptible to criminal.

Or they could even be people born here who become vulnerable when they suffer a life crisis. Traffickers keep a hold on their victims by threatening to tell authorities if a person is here illegally, or even taking away their passports or documentation.

They also use physical or mental violence to intimidate workers into doing what they want, often paying them a pittance and forcing them to live in squalid and cramped conditions.

Detective Sergeant Gareth Smethem, from Derbyshire police, said the force needed the help of the public. He said: "This is a crime which the public can really be on board with us on. When you go to a car wash, have a look at the demeanour and attitude of the people there.

"I want to be clear not all car washes are going to be like this. But some will. If you see people looking down, tired and scared, that could be a sign. Please let us know.

"They may look withdrawn or scruffy. If there's something there that does not seem right, then please tell us.

"If you have work done at your house and an English-speaking man arrives but the work is being carried out by reserved foreign nationals who speak little English, that is a warning sign - especially if the English speaking man comes and collects the money at the end. If you see anything suspicious, please let us know."

Detective Sergeant Smethem is part of a new Derbyshire unit - Operation Wilberforce - established by the force to find the true scale of the problem. Wilberforce officers say they have their eyes open" but have no no idea" of the true scale of the problem they face.

The team was formed in March and Detective Chief Inspector Paul Tatlow, who oversees the operation, said it had been contacted 296 times since then by people concerned that human trafficking and modern-day slavery was taking place.

Detective Constable Andy Hulland said the most shocking example the team had come across was a family who had been trafficked twice.

He said: We got a call from a member of the public to say they were concerned about people in a field in Derbyshire who were living under a tarpaulin. We got there and established they had no money. They were collecting rain water in a rusty can to drink. They spoke no English and that's the situation they dealt with.

We established that they had been trafficked twice in the UK and had just been dumped. We have worked with other agencies to get them some food and somewhere secure to live in the county. It's all about identifying the victims and then getting them the help and support they need.

We've come across victims in Derby who were being forced to work long hours for just 33p per hour. They were being given cheap vodka as well as a reward.

These are the abhorrent crimes we're coming across. They are preying on the weak all of the time. The work we do is really rewarding."

Derbyshire hit the headlines back in 2013 with Operation Atwood, which saw the jailing of two Slovakian brothers for seven years and eight months for trafficking people from their own country into Derby. Twelve victims were identified and it was revealed in court they were made to work in car washes and factories and only received a small amount of their real earnings.

Mr Tatlow said: Operation Atwood was the first time we'd come across more than one person being exploited for money. Since then, we have started to become more and more aware of it. Operation Wilberforce is the first line of help for anybody we find. We want to work out what the size of the problem is we face and then the impact of that.

Our ultimate goal is to stop people from being exploited. We want to get people out of the vicious cycle they find themselves in. Some of them do not know they are being exploited. There are people that are in these relationships and they do know they are victims but what they are involved in is better than back in their own country. They are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Which is better? This can affect all parts of society."

He said that, after Operation Atwood, the force's organised crime teams tackled modern day slavery but now the new unit has been set up to deal with it and identify potential victims rather than waiting for it to happen and then deal with it. Mr Tatlow added: This is a real change in our ethos. We're now going out to try and find it."

One of the challenge they face is that not all victims see themselves as such.

Mr Tatlow said: "It's very complex. Although the fact we've had 296 people get in contact it is still vastly under-reported.

"One thing that's important to get across is this is not always nail bars and car washes. It could be farmers getting someone in to help and not paying them what they should and not treating them right. It could be in Normanton, Derby city centre or the suburbs.

"We used to associate slavery with something happening hundreds of years ago on ships. It's very different now."

If anyone has concerns about human trafficking, they should call police on 101.

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Family found living off rainwater from rusty can in a Derbyshire field - Derby Telegraph