Car washes targeted in slavery investigation

Six car washes were visited in three days of action to investigate whether modern slavery offences were being committed in Newark.

No offences were found in the visits by Nottinghamshire Police and partner agencies, but the operation was said to have helped gather information and a better understanding of the processes involved in investigating the issue.

Sergeant Mike Taylor, of Newark Police, who led the investigation, said: “Car washes tend to operate using low-paid foreign national workers and this can create circumstances where vulnerable people can be exploited.

“This operation was part our efforts to prevent this happening.”

Newark’s Neighbourhood Policing team worked with the county police’s foreign national offender team, HM Revenue and Customs, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, and Newark and Sherwood District Council on the operation.