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| Britain |
| Police Bust Slavery Ring North Of London, England |
| 2011-09-12 |
| Twenty-four people believed to have been held as slaves have been rescued following a dawn raid in Bedfordshire. One hundred and fifty police officers were involved in the operation at a site close to Leighton Buzzard. It is believed the people were recruited from soup kitchens, benefits offices and other locations, with the promise of accommodation and work. When the people were brought to the site though, they had their heads shaved, mobile phones confiscated and made to work as labourers for no pay and live in squalid conditions. Five people were arrested during the raid. Detectives are eager to talk to at least another three people in connection with holding people against their will, and slavery offences. Some of those found on the site are believed to have been held there for as long as 15 years. If they tried to leave they were threatened and beaten. Detective Chief Inspector Sean O'Neil from the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Major Crimes Unit told Sky News: "Generally they were held in dirty, filthy conditions, hardly any food, not replacement clothing, as compared to their gangmasters who were living in almost palatial backgrounds. "They were generally the most vulnerable people in society, who can disappear and be held here without anyone knowing they were missing." Detectives were alerted to what was going on by 28 people who had escaped from the site. When they arrived the police expected to find around 15 people who were being held as slaves. After a search of the entire site, a total of 24 men were found, most of them British. Detectives said they were found in an awful state. They had been living in small caravans or sheds spread throughout the travellers site. They were made to work as labourers on projects across Britain and even in Scandinavia, detectives added. In return the men were paid nothing and given little food. On their one 'day of rest' on a Sunday, they were made to get up at 6am and clean the travellers site. All 24 people are now being cared for at a reception centre, where they will get held from medical and other professionals - one of whom is a specialist in torture. The four men and one woman arrested, all Irish are being questioned by the police. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #16 In Ireland they called them Knackers. Many would go on the dole in the Republic and in Northern Ireland. Commute periodically across the border between N and S to double dip. Scooter McGrooter: you're right. Caravans are travel trailers. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2011-09-12 19:55 |
| #15 Delingpole says we should not be too quick to judge, probably a "cultural thing" Just ask Vanessa Redgrave. |
| Posted by: tipper 2011-09-12 19:08 |
| #14 Yes, it's Hyperbole but it's not too off the wall way of seeing Income taxes (and other economically damaging rules on free exchange). |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2011-09-12 18:32 |
| #13 By that score Bright Pebbles - one might saw having to pay Union Dues (or not be allowed to ply your trade) is a type of slavery (perhaps of a couple hours a week). |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2011-09-12 16:31 |
| #12 You can move to areas with a different income tax rate, thats not possible for a slave. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2011-09-12 15:47 |
| #11 50% Income tax on income isn't that much different from 3 day a week slavery in the scheme of things.... |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2011-09-12 15:03 |
| #10 Human slavery should be punishable by death. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2011-09-12 14:57 |
| #9 When I used to drive by that way I would offer a lift if I saw people walking along the road. On one occasion, I was talking with a couple of lads about a paving job gone wrong where they were forced to work late, so I asked whether they had ambitions to take on their own projects once they knew what they were doing. They told me that the guy that "looks after" them would kill them. I reminded them that it says in the song that "Britons never shall be slaves" and that they didnt owe anybody a living, let alone somebody who left them to walk 10 miles in the dark on a winter night. They both had a kind of crushed look about them & I felt sorry for them, but wary at the same time. It would be nice to think that I had helped them away from that hellish place, but they probably went straight back. As an itinerant myself who has stayed in several places less than a mile from there with few problems, I suppose you just learn to avoid certain areas - same as in any country. There are a couple of pikey sites in Slapton. Friends of mine who have houses nearby are driven nuts by the level of criminality that is tolerated. As well as the theft, arson, vandalism & violence that goes on, "Traveller" kids make up around 75% of the intake in some of the local lower schools. The truly shocking part is that it took 28 people to complain to the police (from the same site, if the BBC is to be believed), 200 police & a helicopter to sort this out. Not that it necessarily will be sorted, as 9 out of 15 have refused to cooperate with the police already. At the same time, some of the most law abiding travelling communities are pursued relentlessly by the authorities. I am forced to move outside the parish boundaries (yes - as per the poor laws) every two weeks; British Waterways are presently in the course of taking out an injunction against me for not doing so, even though I have always paid the considerable license fees. (did you know that you need a license for a kayak in the UK?). The legal bill for the last guy they took to court came to around £90,000... You can see the names of the folks on the Billington caravan site here: You can find a copy of the recent judgement against disabled health care worker & Itinerant boater Paul Davies here As for me, life on the move isnt getting any easier - Mrs Ackbar is due to drop our first (girl) any minute... |
| Posted by: Admiral Allan Ackbar 2011-09-12 13:51 |
| #8 Not roadies, pikies! |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2011-09-12 12:45 |
| #7 Ah, Roadies. I bet the questioning is taking a while. Nobody can understand a word they say. |
| Posted by: Guillibaldo Hatrack1304 2011-09-12 12:15 |
| #6 Got a family of Brits with us at present and their reactions are enlightening. Ho hum, what else would you expect. This seems to be the standard Brit response to everything these days (same response to Greece failure). Total apathy and a we can't do anything about anything ennui. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2011-09-12 11:26 |
| #5 Pity the English politicians haven't the balls to erect gallows for these animals. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2011-09-12 11:06 |
| #4 Phil, so in reality they don't kidnap children -- just adults. Right? Ha ha. <== (irony) |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2011-09-12 02:14 |
| #3 Travellers is the new pc term for what we used to call Gypsies. As a kid in England we were terrified of them, because of stories they kidnapped children. I lived next to a large area of common land that they use camp on. So saw them all the time. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2011-09-12 02:00 |
| #2 My British-to-English translations aren't the best, but I think "caravan" means "mobile home" and "traveller" means "worthless Irish criminal who lives out of their car in a govt-paid trailer park". |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2011-09-12 01:07 |
| #1 Irish travellers? Nice. |
| Posted by: gromky 2011-09-12 00:42 |