HOUSING officers have carried out a morning check on a Cleethorpes property suspected of being used for "modern day slavery".
Pending further inquiries, no details have been revealed of the address nor the nationalities, ages, genders or occupations of the "slaves".
This morning, North East Lincolnshire Council put out the following statement:
"Officers from Equans, in partnership with North East Lincolnshire Council, accompanied by officers from Humberside Police and Humberside Fire and Rescue visited the property and carried out safety inspections, as well as interviewing the tenants.
"The property was found to have six occupants and was not licensed as a House in Multiple Occupation.
"The property lacks fire safety measures and has, no heating or kitchen."
The electricity installation is also said to be "poor".
The statement continues: "Several of the occupants were referred to the police regarding modern day slavery concerns.
"There is now a prohibition order on the property, preventing it from being used as a HMO, whilst the case is assessed and a decision is made on what further action can or should be taken.
"There are a number of properties in our borough which are illegally used as HMOs.
"When such properties are not licensed, not only do they fall short of legal obligations, but there are welfare concerns for the occupants.
"We know that occupants in overcrowded properties risk being subject to modern slavery, including trafficking, forced labour and child exploitation.
"Modern slavery is on the rise nationally, so these investigations on a local level help to put a stop to this concerning trend."
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