Slavery victim numbers in Wales double in two years

The number of slavery victims in Wales has doubled in two years with police saying they are training more officers to deal with the problem.

Last year 70 people were officially identified by police as victims - up from 35 in 2012.

Modern slaves are often vulnerable people being forced to illegally work against their will, such as in brothels and agriculture.

Wales' first anti-slavery week is being held to highlight the problem.

The campaign, run by the four Welsh police forces, aims to raise awareness about modern slavery and encourage members of the public to be vigilant in case it is happening in their communities.

Police also hope it encourages victims to come forward.

Modern slavery includes forced labour, domestic servitude, child exploitation and prostitution.

Det Supt Paul Griffiths, who is the operational policing lead on modern slavery for Wales, said; "It is a common misconception that modern slavery is an issue for other parts of the world.

"The reality is that human trafficking victims exist in communities across Wales."

The issue was thrown into the spotlight after David Daniel Doran was jailed a year ago for forcing a vulnerable man to work unpaid at a farm near Newport.

Darrell Simester, from Kidderminster in Worcestershire, had been made to work for up to 16 hours a day at Cariad Farm in Peterstone, near Newport, only ever having two days off in 13 years.

After he was discovered, Gwent Police set up Operation Imperial to look into his abuse - but officers soon became aware of more slavery victims thanks to the national publicity generated by the case.

Det Supt Griffiths, who is in charge of the operation, said it was estimated there were around 10 to 13,000 modern slaves in the UK.

Listen Darrell's story here.

But only a proportion have been officially recorded because many victims were scared to come forward or might not understand they were being exploited.

The figure is continuing to rise, with 50 victims recognised in the first half of this year.

Officers from around the UK are now coming to Wales to be trained on how to deal with the problem - so far 80 have been on the specialist courses.

From next year, courses will also be held in north Wales to ensure more police can be trained.

Steve Chapman, the Welsh government's anti-slavery co-ordinator, said: "When I first took on this job two years ago, I would describe that Wales was in denial that slavery was taking place.

"The Welsh government's aim is to make Wales hostile to slavery and to provide the best possible support to victims."

How do you know who is a victim of slavery?

If you suspect slavery is happening near you call police on 101 or call the modern slavery helpline on 0800 012 1700.

Source: Gwent Police