Police in south-east England have rescued 24 men, believed to be victims of slavery, from a gypsy site.
Four men and a woman were arrested on suspicion of committing slavery offences in the raid at Greenacre travellers' site at Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, on Sunday.
The BBC reports the rescued men were living in filthy, cramped conditions, some covered in excrement.
Detective Chief Inspector Sean O'Neil says the men were from the UK, Poland, Romania and Russia and some had been held against their will for up to 15 years.
"They're basically recruited from soup kitchens, benefit offices, people that have got problems with alcoholism.
"They're very vulnerable people, the most vulnerable people in society."
He said the men at the site were told they would be paid £80 a day but when they got to the site, they were in the worst cases kept in horseboxes, dog kennels and old caravans, made to work for no money and given very small amounts of food.
He said many of those rescued were suffering from malnutrition.
