Police executed a modern slavery warrant near Braintree following information which suggested forced labour was potentially taking place.

Officers from Braintree community policing team, working in partnership with Braintree Council, British Red Cross, RSPCA, Immigration and HMRC, executed the warrant in Coggeshall Road, Stisted on Friday, October 13.

The purpose of the operation was to identify possible victims of human trafficking or forced labour, and identify any criminality and trading standards issues.

Officers checked the location and 20 individuals were spoken with and identification was checked. No victims of human trafficking or forced labour were identified.

Essex Police says it is just example of their operational work to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking, and anti-slavery partnership coordinator Cristina Gavrilovic said: “At Essex Police, we execute warrants like this one on a regular basis to remind people that we will not tolerate any form of forced labour or human trafficking.

“Our role as police force is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all members of the public. We’re pleased to see that there weren’t any victims of modern slavery.

“We will be continuing this work, acting on information given to ensure all legal requirements are met and all workers are safe.”

For more information on how to spot the signs and how to report human trafficking and modern slavery, call the National Modern Slavery helpline on 0800 0121 700 or click here.