That shocking revelation came as senior officers and other professionals gathered for a groundbreaking conference examining what the force and other agencies can do to beat the problem.
Police chiefs – including Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall – want to explode the myth that slavery does not happen in Cumbria.
A key aim of the conference was to highlight how such exploitation thrives on the profound fear of vulnerable victims, often forced to live in squalor and left so terrified they dare not ask for help.
For that reason, police want more help from the public to spot the tell-tale signs of exploitation.
There have been examples in west Cumbria.
Detective Chief Inspector Lesley Hanson, the senior officer responsible for coordinating efforts to fight the problem, said: “This is relevant to our county.
“It’s relevant because we’ve had 130 intelligence reports of what we felt were cases of modern slavery in this county. In terms of sexual exploitation we’ve had instances of pop-up brothels with Lithuanian females brought into the county.
“We’ve also had labour exploitation and we have looked at particular car washes in the county.
DCI Lesley Hanson “People may have the misconception that modern day slavery doesn’t happen in Cumbria, and that it’s only an issue for big cities. However, human trafficking and slavery can happen anywhere and I’d urge anyone who has concerns to report them to the police immediately.”
She described how “gangmaster” criminals strip the victims of their official documentation, including their passport, and then pay them a pittance for work, and intimidate or beat up anybody who protests.
Young women forced into ‘prostitution’ are being sexually abused.
“The victims are very vulnerable,” said DCI Hanson.
“They’re effectively held to ransom. They may have come from the EU so travelling to the UK is not an issue but they come over for false promises. We’ve had instances of people earning £20 per week.
“People don’t think this kind of thing is happening in Cumbria but it really is. We want people to know what it is and to recognise the signs.”
DCI Hanson said Cumbria Police had carried out “numerous” investigations in the last year, and safeguarded several victims as a result.
She added: “But it’s not always about prosecution. It’s about keeping victims safe.
“I’d like to stress anyone of any race or background could be victim of modern day slavery.
“We often rely on the public for valuable information and evidence when investigating these type of crimes. I would urge people to take the time to learn the signs and get in touch if you have any suspicions that something is not quite right.”
Detective Inspector James Yallop spoke of how victims – often isolated and vulnerable because they speak no English – can find themselves dominated and ruthlessly exploited.
“They’re in a foreign country, and they feel lost,” he said. “They’ve their identity documents and money taken from them and they’re already in debt. They’re forced to work for well below the national minimum wage.”
The conference heard from several experts who urged those attending to give priority to fighting slavery.
Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall said: “The first step to eradicating the scourge of modern slavery is acknowledging and confronting its existence.
“The threat of modern slavery is real and is happening in Cumbria and we can’t allow this type of crime to become established.
“The message to you is simple – if you see something suspicious please report it.
“We see people being exploited in agriculture, in tourism, in car washed. It takes all sorts of forms.”
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
The event was funded by the Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, and held at Carlisle Racecourse with 215 professionals in attendance.
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