Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Home secretary Amber Rudd strengthens police response to modern slavery

HOME secretary Amber Rudd announced £8.5 million on Tuesday (18) to help the police tackle modern slavery, as a monitoring group said that some of Britain’s biggest firms were failing to “properly check” their supply chains for exposure to the crime despite tougher laws and a government-led crackdown on human trafficking.

It is estimated that there are 45.8 million victims of slavery globally (according to the Walk Free Foundation’s Global Slavery Index 2016) while in the UK, the home office puts the figure between 10,000 and 13,000.


Rudd said: “Modern slavery is a barbaric crime which destroys the lives of the most vulnerable in our society. That is why I am announcing significant investment that will help our law enforcement agencies bring the perpetrators of this intolerable crime to justice.

“Our message to slave-drivers and traffickers is clear: we are coming to get you and you have nowhere to hide.”

Led by Devon and Cornwall Police, the national effort will provide more than 50 additional analysts, specialists and investigators who will assist the police response in England and Wales to modern slavery.

Britain’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 gave law enforcement new powers to tackle modern slavery, introduced tougher sentences and increased protection for victims.

Last year, 289 modern slavery offences were prosecuted in England and Wales as the Home Office said more victims were also seeking help.

Under the Modern Slavery Act, companies operating in the UK with a turnover of £36 million or more, must disclose what they have done to ensure slave labour is not in their supply chains.

Some companies, however, showed “wilful misunderstanding” of the aims of the legislation, a report said.

Just two out of 27 FTSE 100 companies - firms with high market capitalisation - delivered “rigorous” statements that demonstrated “robust action” in line with new anti-slavery legislation, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre said.

A further 11 failed to meet minimum standards in the key categories of policy, due diligence, staff training and mitigation against slavery, the campaign group said in a report, adding that no company received top marks in all areas.

“This analysis exposes a shocking level of inaction within big business on modern slavery,” said

Marilyn Croser, the director of CORE Coalition, a non-profit group which helped analyse the company reports.

Consumer and clothing company Marks & Spencer and brewing and beverage company SAB Miller, which was acquired by AB InBev earlier this month, came top of the table in the report.

BT Group, Burberry Group and Vodaphone also produced good statements on supply chains, the report said.

“No company wants the scourge of slavery in its operations and supply chains. We hope the next group (of companies)... will emulate the better practice of the (top performers),” said Phil Bloomer, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre’s executive director.

The next batch of FTSE 100 companies is due to report in December, the report said.

Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer, the national policing lead on modern slavery, organised immigration crime and migration matters said: “I share the Home Secretary’s

unequivocal commitment to further improving the UK response to modern slavery. Police have invested in specialist investigators, developed a cross-country network, trained officers and led successful operations to tackle trafficking and exploitation of people for profit.

“This significant financial investment from the Transformation Fund enables us to do more. We will use the funding to bring in more specialist officers, improve our intelligence on traffickers and run more proactive operations that bring criminals to justice and protect victims.”

In July, prime minister Theresa May announced that she will chair a Modern Slavery Taskforce that will focus on the law enforcement response.

(with Thomson Reuters Foundation)

More For You

Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less