Around 40 immigrants believed to have been held against their will by traffickers were discovered crammed into a three-bedroom property by anti-slavery police.

The Romanians, including eight women and six children, including an 18-month-old baby, were found after a tip-off on August 28 at a terraced property near Dudley, West Midlands.

Migrants were found sleeping in the bathroom while the kitchen floor was covered in mattresses.

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Around 40 immigrants believed to have been held against their will by traffickers have been discovered crammed into a three-bedroom property in Dudley, West Midlands. Above, the outside of the property, which is littered with rubbish and an old sofa

There were unprotected electric wires under the stairs and the back garden was littered with dumped mattresses, clothes, chairs, toys and even an abandoned computer.

An anti-slavery investigation has now been launched.

Detective Inspector Nick Dale, from West Midlands Police, said: 'Such operations are challenging as we regularly come up against victims who have been brainwashed by traffickers into thinking police will prosecute them.

'They may have misplaced loyalty to traffickers or a general fear of reprisals should they speak out against their treatment. It is crucial for us to gain the trust and co-operation of victims.'

The Romanians, including eight women and six children, were found after a tip-off on August 28. Above, the loft of the house being used as a larder for crisps and eggs

Rubbish piled high in the back garden of the property, while shoes and clothes can be seen strewn over the ground

The migrants were kept apart from three men believed to have been running the house in the hope this would allow them to talk more freely about their plight.

A 23-year-old man was questioned by investigators on suspicion of pocketing wages earned by the men and women while documentation linking the people to a farm in Worcestershire was seized for further inquiries.

SLAVERY: A LIFE SENTENCE The Modern Slavery Act 2015 made slavery a specific offence from March. People traffickers now face the prospect of life jail sentences, instead of the previous maximum of 14 years, while large firms have to show they are working to ensure their business and supply chains are free from slavery. The new bill also allows traffickers’ assets to be seized and given to victims as compensation payments. The Home Office estimated there were around 13,000 victims of slavery in the UK in 2013. Advertisement

The women and children were rehoused by the local authority but the men declined offers of support following the raid late last month.

Police are hoping to ban the suspects from arranging travel to the UK for other people.

Detective Chief Inspector Tom Chisholm, a West Midlands Police slavery expert, said: 'We mostly encounter Eastern European men subjected to forced labour in construction or agriculture.

'We have a steady stream of people turning up at police stations, some displaying injuries, reporting to have escaped slave-masters or been dumped in the street when work dries up.

'Invariably they will have been approached in their home country with offers of attractive salaries working in the UK and agreements are usually made to sacrifice part of their wages in return for accommodation, transport and living expenses.

'On arrival they are sent to work, paid far less than promised, charged exorbitant rents, and threatened with violence if they protest or try to leave.'

There were unprotected electric wires under the stairs of the property, which may have been being run by three men

Mould covers the ceiling of one of the rooms while migrants were found sleeping in the bathroom and on the kitchen floor

In the first three months of this year West Midlands Police referred 27 suspected slavery victims to the UK Human Trafficking Centre.

People are being forced into labour, passed between trafficking groups and being paid just five pounds for an eight-hour day Hope for Justice

Ben Cooley, chief executive of charity Hope for Justice, said: 'We’ve had examples of people being forced into labour, passed between trafficking groups while here in the UK, and being paid just five pounds for an eight-hour day.

'One recent case saw a woman from the Czech Republic lured to Birmingham by a man using false details and photo on a dating website. On arrival she realised she’d been duped but spoke no English and didn’t know who to turn to for help.