TWENTY-SIX people in Salisbury were identified as potential victims of modern slavery during a targeted police investigation on Tuesday.

Wiltshire Police visited seven addresses in the city, one of which was a business, to check on the welfare of those identified.

They were all interviewed and assessed, and police declared them all safe and well.

The enforcement was based on police intelligence about the possible exploitation of Romanian workers in Salisbury.

No arrests were made during the operation, but police say they will be working closely with the city’s Romanian community to establish and strengthen “strong community links”.

Detective Superintendent Jeremy Carter said: “We are fully committed to tackling modern slavery and protecting the most vulnerable people in society. Following comprehensive intelligence, there was an indication that some addresses were linked to labour exploitation.

“It can be forgiven to think that because Wiltshire is one of the safest places to live and work in the country that these types of issues don’t happen. Sadly, this is not the case and it is important that we educate our communities to spot the signs so they can help us stop modern slavery.

“This ever-changing crime requires us to work proactively by building up an intelligence picture of the situation and deploying our resources accordingly. This specific operation was led by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) and supported by the police, the National Crime Agency,, Local Housing and the Illegal Money Lending Team.

“Wiltshire Police also chair the Swindon and Wiltshire Anti-Slavery Partnership which helps to bring everyone together to put a stop to slavery in our communities and this will continue to be a top priority so the issue of modern slavery is everyone’s responsibility.

“Whilst carrying out this operation, 26 potential victims of exploitation have been identified. However, there was no need to take any further action to secure their wellbeing.

“I would urge the public to be aware of the potential signs of exploitation and use that information to not only report their concerns, but also to think of the human cost of the services they use so that informed decisions can be made”.

Police say modern slavery and exploitation can be characterised by someone who:

- Works long hours

- Has substance addiction

- Is chaperoned everywhere

- Someone else keeps their keys

- Language barriers/isolation

- Malnutrition

- Has money withheld from them

Call 101 or 999.