Arrests after police swoop on abattoir at night in sudden raid

Police investigating suspected modern slavery offences swooped to raid an abattoir in Greater Manchester. A linked police warrant was also executed in Lancashire, with a woman arrested at a premises there.

The Manchester Evening News joined Greater Manchester Police on Thursday night as officers forced entry into the abattoir at 10pm. At the time, sheep were arriving on wagons.

One man, wearing blood-stained overalls, was arrested and led away in handcuffs before being taken away in a van. Moments later another man, also wearing blood-stained overalls, was arrested and placed in handcuffs before being led away by officers. A third person was also arrested after they were found hiding on a nearby roof.

People at the abattoir were spoken to at the scene and taken to a reception centre run by the Salvation Army, where staff were ready to take people to safe houses and offer food.

The raids followed an investigation into allegations made by a man from Zimbabwe who had come to the UK to work legally as a slaughterman. He was sponsored by the abattoir in order to obtain a permit to work in the UK as a skilled workman and his flight was also paid for by, according to police.

But he said he left the abattoir after three months because of the way he claims he was treated and ended up homeless in Manchester city centre. He went to Greater Manchester Police in November and made allegations, telling officers he was allegedly only paid £100 or £200 in cash infrequently despite telling police he was working at least 40 hours a week.

Detective Sergeant Lee Attenborough told the M.E.N. the man told officers he had been promised accommodation, but ended up sleeping in an office in the abattoir.

The whistleblower alleged that when he