Help save victims this Anti-Slavery Day

You could be forgiven for thinking that living in Cheshire slavery is something you would never encounter, but don’t kid yourself, it’s all around.

The farm labourers you see every day, the property cleaners and maintenance workers – any one of them could be a victim of slavery.

“You could be saving lives” is the message being highlighted to Cheshire residents to mark Anti-Slavery Day today Friday 18 October.

Anti-Slavery Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the devastating effects of human trafficking and modern slavery on our communities.

Four videos of the survivor were recently released and are being promoted again today to mark Anti-Slavery Day.

The videos highlight the treatment the survivor suffered at the hands of criminals and the local partnership support he has subsequently received.

Potential signs to look out for include:

· Requirement to pay for tools and food

· Seem under control, told not to speak to others

· Picked up in a van, same time same place every day

· Excessive work hours/few breaks (Exploitation in this case can occur in various industries including construction, manufacturing, car washes, laying driveways, hospitality, food packaging, agriculture, maritime and beauty)

· Work conditions for victims are usually poor i.e. not provided with protective clothing and the area of work being unsafe.

· Control mechanisms are used to keep workers from leaving for example, withholding important documents

· Withholding of wages or excessive wage reductions

· Pay that is less than minimum wage

To watch the survivor videos, please visit:

If you have any suspicions, call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700 or to Cheshire Police.