By Rebecca Curley (Local Democracy Reporter)

SURREY’S police and crime commissioner David Munro has said he is “sure” councils are employing slaves – and has challenged leaders to find out.

Mr Munro, a former Farnham councillor, has called on leaders of all 11 borough and district councils – and the county council in Surrey – to delve deeper into the working practices of their contractors to see if any are engaging in modern slavery.

He said he was sure somewhere in each councils’ supply chain there would be workers being exploited.

His comments were made at a Surrey Police and Crime Panel meeting on November 27 as members discussed ways to tackle modern slavery and how to help stop the exploitation of people in the county.

Modern slavery is an umbrella term encompassing slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking. Victims of modern slavery are unable to leave their situation of exploitation, controlled by threats, punishment, violence, coercion and deception.

In 2017 there were 51 reports of modern slavery in Surrey with the most common being the sexual exploitation of young girls and adult males in the workplace.

One area of concern for members of the panel was car washes as well as nail bars, which police regularly visit.

In April 2018, two men were sentenced to a total of 13 years for forcing kitchen staff from the EU to pay excessive accommodation, transport and administrative costs. And in August 2018, police arrested two people in Sunbury on suspicion of keeping a woman in domestic servitude.

Mr Munro made his challenge to councils in a bid to highlight how close people are to acts of modern slavery.

He said: “Are you absolutely sure that significant sub-contractor does not employ slaves in some context? I bet you there is modern slavery somewhere in the supply chain.”

Surrey Police is working on a three-year initiative with the Church of England and other church networks to enable people to detect forms of modern slavery. An anti-slavery partnership has also been formed, pulling together charities and voluntary organisations, councils, faith groups and businesses.