Modern slavery a 'hidden problem' in South Yorkshire
Modern slavery's being described as a hidden problem in South Yorkshire.
Police say people are being forced being forced into working, often in terrible conditions, with the majority of their wages going to traffickers.
It's apparently a growing problem across the country - but one that's being under-reported in our county.
Rachel Medina's from the Snowdrop Project who support victims of the crime in Sheffield - she told us it can have a devastating impact:
"Their documents are removed from them, they're not paid their wages, they're made to work extremely long hours in unsafe conditions. And we've seen the spectrum of that, from people who were brought over to the UK on a container truck with a bunch of other people and nearly died and then not allowed outside, not allowed freedom of movement."
"They'll have flashbacks, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, depression, inability to cope - their ways of self-regulating their emotions can be all over the place as well as the physical impact of sometimes enduring beatings and severe mistreatments."
11 cases of modern slavery were reported in South Yorkshire in 2014 - but officers think the true number is much higher due to the hidden nature of the crime.
Nationally the number of cases reported went up by over 30% between 2013 and 2014.
Domestic servitude is one of the forms modern slavery can take - Rachel says it's particularly hard to spot:
"We see solicitors, we see doctors who actually have domestic servants who are trafficked victims in their homes. People don't think of that - it could be happening to people you live near and it's about being aware of that and spotting the signs because if you see something maybe you'll be able to help someone."
She's now urging people to assist the police in looking out for the signs of modern slavery in South Yorkshire:
"Gas fitters, people who have access to different homes. So if you go into a home and it's got a bunch of mattresses on the floor and like 30 people living in it - there are things that could raise some red flags. People think 'there's something funny about that' or 'that doesn't seem quite right' - it's that gut instinct that you have of 'there isn't something right about this situation or I don't feel comfortable with that."