They are a phenomenon of modern urban life, springing up as if from nowhere, on the sites of old petrol stations, in supermarket carparks or on disused land — somehow dodging local planning laws.

For as little as £5, they will transform your mud-spattered runabout, with its discarded crisp packets and upholstery covered in crumbs, into a gleaming chariot, pristine inside and out.

There are about 19,000 car-wash operations in Britain now, a vast, unregulated industry, employing up to 200,000 people.

Car washes are everywhere but some of the workers have been trafficked by gangs, tricked into deals that turn them into victims of a modern form of slavery, operating in plain sight

Many are from Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa: some are legal entrants to this country, some not.

Some have been trafficked by gangs, tricked into deals that turn them into victims of a modern form of slavery, operating in plain sight.

Most of the cleaners who wash and polish the vehicles cannot speak English and are easily ignored by motorists in a rush — except for that moment when something happens.

On Sunday, a suspected drink-driver, smashed into five Romanian workers at a car-wash in South-East London after an alleged row as they washed his car.

One man is fighting for his life, another man and a woman were seriously injured and remain in hospital, while two others suffered minor injuries.

The incident has refocused attention on these businesses, few of which adhere to UK employment laws, and the plight of those who work there.

Dawn Frazer, of the Car Wash Advisory Service (CWAS), says only 1,000 hand car-wash businesses observe any regulatory requirements and that many staff are paid below the minimum wage, usually cash in hand. 'They do not know what their rights are,' she says.

There are about 19,000 car-wash operations in Britain now, a vast, unregulated industry, employing up to 200,000 people

'Very often you will find out in some way or another that they are a victim; these are the types of jobs they can actually get. There is an awful lot of organised crime — trafficking and abuse of staff.'

At one car-wash in the car park of a Tesco store in London this week, the Mail and a Romanian interpreter met Stefan (not his real name).

The 27-year-old works from 8am to 6pm every day, earning £40 per shift, but he has worked for less — £25 for 12-hour shifts at other car-washes.

'It is slavery, like 150 years ago,' he says. 'We are asked to clean hundreds of cars each day.

'We are not allowed to smoke or have breaks. Sometimes we are asked to stay for two or three hours' overtime.'

He knows his pay is illegally low but says: 'We have no choice.' His friend Marius, 25, adds: 'It is making a bit of money to send home.'

Both have partners and children in Romania where wages for unskilled workers are barely viable; about £200 a month.

On Sunday, a suspected drink-driver, smashed into five Romanian workers at a car-wash (pictured) in South-East London after an alleged row as they washed his car

'The clients normally are fine, but in terms of money we are treated as slaves,' says Stefan. 'You do get arguments, people shouting at you if you have your lunch.'

Last night a spokesman for Tesco said that that it operates a franchise system for car-washing services in its carparks.

'It is important to us that everyone associated with Tesco is treated fairly and paid in accordance with the living wage,' he said.

'We are looking seriously into these alleged breaches of the agreed franchise terms.'

While working at another car-wash, in a different part of East London, Stefan was paid for only two days after working five. When he asked for the rest he was threatened with a beating.

He says some of his co-workers became so ill due to the terrible working conditions that they had to cease work: 'It is very cold, wet all day so you are prone to getting ill. You cannot complain, otherwise they will sack you.

Many of the workers are from Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa: some are legal entrants to this country, some not

'I have seen fights between bosses and employees. A boss was giving us less and less money each day, and when we tried to confront him he got three or four men to come and beat us up.

'We tried to reason with them but we couldn't. One of my friends got his nose broken. I remember two guys from the job centre came to our car-wash and tried to question us about how many hours we work and how much we get paid.

'The manager threatened that if we spoke we will get in trouble big time. So, I lied and said that I was working part-time.'

Such harsh working environments are not unknown in other businesses, including construction, care, cleaning, catering, nail bars and taxi firms, but the car-wash sector is particularly brutal.

They are also often used as venues for drug-dealing and prostitution by criminals who sit in the background, harvesting fat profits on the backs of their wage-slaves. Their greatest value to traffickers, however, is in money laundering.

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Brewer of the Metropolitan Police's Anti-Human-trafficking operation says it can be difficult to secure convictions as the people working in the car-washes are often reluctant to back prosecutions. 'There are many grey areas around modern slavery,' he says.

'When you look at some of the conditions they come from, you can understand why they put up with what they put up with.'

Numerous Romanian websites offer plentiful work but the pay rarely exceeds £50 for at least eight hours a day, which is illegal because UK law says workers over 25 must be paid £7.20 an hour; £57.60 for an eight-hour day

Numerous Romanian websites offer plentiful work but the pay rarely exceeds £50 for at least eight hours a day, which is illegal because UK law says workers over 25 must be paid £7.20 an hour; £57.60 for an eight-hour day.

One advert calls on 'extremely hard-working' people to work ten-hour days for £35 up to seven days a week — an hourly rate of £3.50. It also demands a £100 commission fee for arranging the job.

The Mail's interpreter, Mrs Mirela Watson, who has accompanied police on raids, has encountered worse: workers earning as little as £10 a day and living on sites in 'sordid' accommodation.

'Initially they were quite reluctant to speak to police because as a part of their upbringing they fear authorities but after some time they opened up and told us what was going on,' she says.

'We found slavery; human exploitation. The workers felt trapped and believed they couldn't do anything better, mainly because of a lack of English. They didn't know where they could turn for help.

'They weren't provided with any protective clothing, and their hands were horribly cracked. The wages were so low they couldn't afford gloves.

'They were working all day in wet boots. They barely get time to eat and the boss keeps the tips. They weren't allowed proper breaks.'

Anne Read, the Salvation Army's Director of Anti-trafficking and modern slavery, met cleaners who had been rescued after police raided a car-wash and saw the consequences of days spent standing unprotected in trade effluent — used car-wash water.

'One of them seemed reluctant to remove his shoes,' she says.

Over time the harsh chemicals in the cleaning fluids had fused his shoes on to his feet

'When we asked if he was OK, he showed us his feet. He had been wearing just his own lightweight shoes to work.

'Over time the harsh chemicals in the cleaning fluids had fused his shoes on to his feet, which meant that he had not been able to take them off for weeks. They had to be surgically removed.'

Yet, for many it remains a job that is a gateway to a better life. Mrs Watson says posters at the international airport in Bacau in Romania advertise car-wash jobs in London with exactly that message — 'Are you looking for a better life? Come to England and work in a car-wash.'

‘It is a vicious circle,’ she says. ‘Most of the time they advertise in Romanian newspapers and social networks — “Come and work, you get accommodation and you get paid". It makes it very tempting.'

'But when they get here the situation is completely different. They are living on site in caravans without running water or cooking facilities. They live their lives at the car-washes.'

Sandu Laurentiu, 40, was one of six Romanians working at a car-wash called Bubbles in Bethnal Green, East London.

He was paid £40 a day, and forced to pay £40 a week for nearby accommodation provided by his Kosovan employer. It was later described as 'dilapidated, cramped, rat-infested'.

An employee the Mail spoke to said he worked from 8am to 6pm every day, earning £40 per shift, but he has worked for less — £25 for 12-hour shifts at other car-washes

It was also a death trap. One day in August 2015, Sandu took a shower and was electrocuted due to faulty wiring.

The owner of Bubbles, Shaip Nimani, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence at the Old Bailey and was jailed for four years.

The independent antislavery commissioner Kevin Hyland said the case was 'one of the worst examples of modern slavery to be seen on the High Street'.

And so it continues, desperate people we may see only in the rear-view mirror as we drive away. It takes public anger to motivate governments and councils, and with voters worried by housing, the health service and austerity, exploited Eastern Europeans garner little general sympathy.

At a car-wash in Kent, one worker — unaware at the time that he was being filmed by an undercover news outlet — summed it all up in one single sentence of despair.

'We are treated worse than slaves,' he said. 'At least the rats are free.'



