A NEW partnership has been launched by North Yorkshire Police to help combat the scourge of modern slavery.

The Modern Slavery Partnership for North Yorkshire and York was launched this week and will see the police work together with organisations such as councils and businesses to identify and prevent workplace exploitation.

Announcing the launch of the Partnership, Detective Inspector John Freer, lead in force for modern slavery and human trafficking, said: “North Yorkshire Police is keen to work with local organisations and businesses, to raise awareness of the fact that North Yorkshire is not untouched by modern slavery and to work together eradicate the crime.

“People have the belief that slavery exists only in densely populated areas and cities, which isn’t the case.

“Modern slavery can be found in towns and villages, rural and isolated areas.

“The Partnership’s aim is to work with private, public and voluntary organisations throughout the region to equip them with the knowledge to be able to recognise the signs of modern slavery, how to prevent and stop it and how to support its victims.”

Professor Gary Craig, Professor Emeritus of Social Justice, University of Hull, is involved in the development of the Partnership and said: “Modern slavery can be found anywhere in the county and city.

“Everyone can have a role in combating slavery by knowing what it looks like, recognising it when they see it and then taking action by reporting it to the police or local authorities.”

Modern slavery has increasingly been recognised as a very serious issue in the UK, leading to the passage of a Modern Slavery Act in 2015, which gives many organisations the knowledge and access to expertise to combat the crime.

Although precise figures are not known, on a pro-rata basis, there are likely to be several hundred people in some form of modern slavery in the North Yorkshire/York area at any one time, with upwards of 30,000 across the whole of the country, according to latest estimates from the National Crime Agency.

Modern slavery covers forms of serious sexual and physical exploitation such as human trafficking, forced labour, domestic servitude, cannabis farming, car washes, child labour and organ trafficking.

The Partnership is keen to point out that modern slavery may be found in any industry including hospitality, farming and construction.