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Dublin: 5 °C Friday 24 May, 2013

Four charged over alleged slavery on UK traveller site

One woman arrested after police raided a traveller site in England and released on bail is expected to be questioned again after the imminent birth of her child.

Police at the Leighton Buzzard caravan site yesterday.
Police at the Leighton Buzzard caravan site yesterday.
Image: Steve Parsons/PA Wire

FOUR MEN HAVE been charged with slavery offences after a raid on a traveller site at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, England at the weekend.

Twenty-four British and Eastern European men were found living in filthy and cramped conditions at the site and five people were arrested, four men and one woman, by officers carrying out the raid.

According to Bedforshire on Sunday, the woman who was arrested was released on bail but will be questioned further following the birth of her child. She is understood to be very close to giving birth. The four men are all brothers and are due to appear in court tomorrow.

The BBC reports that of the 24 men thought to have been held at the camp against their will, nine are refusing to cooperate with police. One of the nine described the police investigation as “heavy-handed” to the Guardian and said “plenty of men” who were at the site were getting paid and wanted to be there.

Over a dozen men are still receiving hospital treatment for problems including malnutrition.

The police investigation continues and the Crown Prosecution Service said that further charges may follow. The charges currently being brought against the brothers relate to four alleged victims who claim they were being kept at the site against their will as slaves.

Five arrested after men found in shocking conditions on UK traveller site >

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Comments (15 Comments)

  • hope they throw the book at them*

    * and i dont mean the argos book!

  • I don’t really care if they are travellers, Muslims or Moonies but if they are guilty of treating their fellow man like this they deserve any punishment that’s coming their way.

  • what I don’t understand is that the authorities had known about this for four years, but had not acted. there were numerous escapees from these sites, why was nothing done to release them. the police reported that they were waiting for a change in the law in order to secure prosecutions – which seems to have been a greater priority than actually rescuing those in captivity…

  • Seems odd that 24 captives could not stand up to 4 people in a traveller campsite for that length of time, t’was hardly a " supermax" facility. I wonder was there a lot more slavedrivers involved.
    Horrible story all the same. The world can really be a depressing place with some really awful people in it!

  • And to think of their cries of discrimination. Complaining at not being given a fair chance. And behind it all they have a slave work force. I don’t even wanna know what sorts of depraved acts occurred there. Drink drugs, travellers and slaves.

    • You can’t go tarring them all with the same brush Kevin. That’s like saying all Muslims are terrorists.

    • Well said Eoin. I just remembered I worked with a few travellers, (yeah right), my doctor is a traveller (lol), and the last holiday I had, the pilot was a traveller.
      It’s funny that you compare Travellers to Muslims. I mean, nobody wants to get on a flght with either.
      I’m guessing your post was made in jest.

    • Barry 13/09/11 #

      Kevin, great to see your hatred is alive and well.

      Sure while we’re at it I guess all those anti Irish signs that used to be up around England must have had something behind them.

      Since you think it’s fine to tar everyone with the same brush I think it’s only fair.

      Sure while we’re at it let’s get the KKK going over too………….

      I can only assume your posts are just trolling, either that or you foolish as well and that’s putting it "very" nicely

  • This story seems surreal,slaves in England. Where the hell is our world going.

  • I think they have to have something called a trial first. Then if found guilty I’d hope they get treated in accordance with the existing law.

  • Saw these so called slaves on tv and they looked fit and healthy to me,something is not quite right and I am no lover of the traveling people

  • "4 charged over slavery on ENGLISH traveller site"