A former university lecturer and her husband have been arrested on suspicion of modern slavery after a Polish man was 'kept in a shed for four years' in a leafy village.

Pritpal Binning and her husband Palvinder, who works in software, have been having extensive building work done to their five-bedroom £1.2 million home in Hampshire.

Officers arrested the 56-year-old woman and 54-year-old man at a property in Chilworth, near Southampton, an affluent village home to several footballers.

Police raided the couple's luxury home after the alleged victim went to a NHS walk-in health centre and claimed he had been forced to work in exchange for food.

He claimed the British couple had given him only a plastic sun lounger to sleep on and out-of-date food to eat, and that he had no toilet.

On one occasion while he was working he stopped to chat with a neighbour but was 'shouted at' by Mrs Binning, a former Southampton University health sciences lecturer, it is claimed.

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Pritpal Binning, pictured, and husband Palvinder have been accused of keeping a Polish man as a slave in their garden shed for four years and forcing him to work for out-of-date food

Palvinder Binning, pictured, who works in software, is accused of forcing the man to sleep on a plastic sun lounger without access to a flushing toilet

The Polish builder claimed he had been forced to live in a shed, pictured, in Chilworth, near Southampton, for four years

Officers for the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority raided the property in the leafy village and found 'terrible conditions' in the shed, including clothes piled up in bags

According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Binning works for US IT firm BMC Software and previously worked for technology giant HP for seven years.

The gates of their five-bedroom property, which is being renovated, were closed today but four British workmen were spotted inside the grounds drinking tea near a barely-started breeze block extension.

Two parked cars - one a two door Lexus and the other a BMW saloon - were parked in front of a garage, which is set under the house, while curtains were drawn.

A female neighbour, in her 70s, today revealed she had seen many workers around the property after major renovation works started last year and one particular man there regularly.

The woman said: 'The most recent building started about October last year, when they had some scaffolding put up which came about 3ft onto my land so I rang Palvinder about it.

'They have had quite a few eastern European men doing building work around the property and I initially thought that this man I kept seeing was one of them.

'I would see him more than the other workers, I would see him walking along the road outside the house.

'I believe Pritpal runs a wedding business as well and she has a lot of wedding paraphernalia, which she had been keeping in a neighbour's garage.

'But when that property was sold, she had to move it all back to her house. I saw this man, who was about 40, moving it all for her.'

A 56-year-old woman and 54-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of modern slavery offences and a video of the raid showed officers questioning them, pictured

The alleged victim, aged in his 40s, said he worked for out-of-date food and was made to sleep on a plastic sun lounger. Pictured is some of the clutter in the shed

The neighbour added: 'When my husband died a few years back, the Binnings came round to mine with a bottle of wine.

'While they were here they asked if I wanted to sell some of my land.'

A schoolmate of Mr Binning, who did not want to be named, today said he could not believe his old friend had been arrested.

He said: 'I haven't spoken to him for a while, but he was a really decent chap, a stand-up bloke. I am sure he wouldn't have been involved in anything like this.'

The alleged victim in his 40s told the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority that he had been sleeping on a plastic sun lounger in the shed at the bottom of the garden and was given out of date food to eat.

He also said that he had no flushing toilet and that his kitchen was a fridge and barbecue.

A spokesman for the GLAA said the pair have been released on bail and have not been charged yet, and it is understood officers are still going through evidence.

Footage taken by the GLAA showed their officers searching the 'freezing' shed, rifling through sheets while piles of clothes are stacked up against a wall.

The breeze block shed, which the Polish man in his 40s claimed to have been forced to live, is visible in one corner of the garden.

Mrs Binning worked at the University of Southampton Faculty of Health Sciences between 1998 and 2017.

She describes her area of expertise as 'Adult Nursing specialising respiratory, cadiovascular and high dependency care'.

In 2013 a University newsletter commended her, noting 'congratulations to Pritpal Binning who has passed her Masters in Education with a stunning 82 per cent'.

Tony Byrne, senior investigating officer at the GLAA, which is Britain's anti-slavery body, said: 'In the 21st century, no one should be forced to live in such degrading and disgusting conditions.

'Following the two arrests we made, our investigation is ongoing as we examine and assess the evidence we collected from the property.

'I would also like to praise the NHS staff who reported their concerns. It's really important that people get in touch if they believe someone is being exploited.

The five-bedroom £1.2million home in Chilworth, Hampshire, where the alleged Polish slave was kept in a garden shed with no toilet

Officers were also seen searching the shed on the video including rummaging through sheets

'By contacting us, we can ensure that some of the most vulnerable people in society are protected and supported.'

Test Valley District Commander Chief Inspector Kory Thorne said: 'Instances of modern day slavery in the Test Valley are rare.

'However, when information is received suggesting someone is being subjected to modern day slavery we will work with partner agencies to investigate and where necessary take action against those people responsible.'

A male neighbour in his 40s, said he had seen a white man working around the five-bedroom property but was shocked to hear of the allegations about the 'nice' couple.

He said: 'I did go round there once, a few years back. They've lived here for at least 20 years - they were certainly nice when I went round there.

'I saw the police there the other day and one of the vans actually parked outside my house for a little while.

'It's shocked me hearing what has been reported to have happened. I have seen a white guy walking past my house with a trailer full of rubbish.

'He stopped to talk to my gardener once and she [Pritpal] came out and told him off for chatting.

'The house has changed a lot now, the building work has been going on for about a year now but that particular man was around before that.'

Officers said he had been admitted to the 'National Referral Mechanism', which ensures modern slavery victims and are given support. Both suspects have been released while investigations continue.

Speaking at her home yesterday, Mrs Binning refused to comment on the arrests, saying: 'I know why you're here. We're not going to talk.'

Tony Byrne (pictured) senior investigating officer at the GLAA, said no one should be 'forced to live in such disgusting conditions' after the raid

The GLAA officers inspecting the garden in Hampshire. The body is Britain's anti-slavery investigators which aim to protect vulnerable workers

Britain has set itself as a global leader in the fight against slavery, passing a tough anti-trafficking law in 2015, which it plans to review amid criticism that it is not being used fully to jail traffickers or help victims.

The country is home to an estimated 136,000 slaves, according to Australian rights group Walk Free Foundation.

The arrest comes just weeks after specialist officers in the north of England rescued another potential slavery victim who had lived in a shed for 40 years.

A 79-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of modern slavery offences.

Many are immigrants lured to Britain under the false promise of a better life and then forced to work at car washes, construction sites, hotels, nail bars and farms, officials say.