Cambridgeshire is one of three areas of the country being singled out by the Government in a bid to clamp down on modern slavery.

Ely Standard: Modern slavery helpline: New campaign across Cambridgeshire launched in bid to bring to an end instances of modern day slavery. The campaign will encourage reporting of concerns. Picture; GOVERNMENTModern slavery helpline: New campaign across Cambridgeshire launched in bid to bring to an end instances of modern day slavery. The campaign will encourage reporting of concerns. Picture; GOVERNMENT (Image: Archant)

Together with West Yorkshire and the West Midlands, the county is being targeted with posters, advertisements and a social media campaign with the emphasis of modern slavery “hiding in plain sight”.

Front line workers in banking, recruitment and healthcare are being specifically alerted to ensure recognition of the signs of modern slavery.

Common indicators of modern slavery are likely to include people forced to pay cash wages into someone else’s bank account or someone being accompanied to and from an appointment by someone who is obviously not a relative.

A Government spokesman said they wanted “to end the scourge of modern slavery in Peterborough.

Ely Standard: Modern slavery helpline: New campaign across Cambridgeshire launched in bid to bring to an end instances of modern day slavery. The campaign will encourage reporting of concerns. Picture; GOVERNMENTModern slavery helpline: New campaign across Cambridgeshire launched in bid to bring to an end instances of modern day slavery. The campaign will encourage reporting of concerns. Picture; GOVERNMENT (Image: Archant)

“Based on intelligence from the police and the Gangmasters’ and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), it has chosen to run this campaign in areas where it is likely to have an impact.

“The Government has made great progress in working with its partners in Peterborough and wants to build on this to work with front-line professionals and help save lives.”

Last year Stop the Traffik (STT) and Barclays provided training for the bank’s front-line staff in Peterborough together with local police.

The Government spokesman said: “The scale of modern slavery in the UK is significant, and the number of potential victims identified is increasing year on year”. The spokesman said that estimates from the National Crime Agency show that there were 18 potential victims in Cambridgeshire in 2018, while across the UK nearly 7,000 potential victims were referred to the UK’s National Referral Mechanism.

Ely Standard: Modern slavery helpline: New campaign across Cambridgeshire launched in bid to bring to an end instances of modern day slavery. The campaign will encourage reporting of concerns. Picture; GOVERNMENTModern slavery helpline: New campaign across Cambridgeshire launched in bid to bring to an end instances of modern day slavery. The campaign will encourage reporting of concerns. Picture; GOVERNMENT (Image: Archant)

“The Prime Minister made modern slavery a priority, setting up a dedicated modern slavery taskforce to help reach the UN global goal of eradicating modern slavery by 2030,” said the spokesman.

Workers in the sectors identified in the Government campaign are said to be those most likely to come into frequent contact with potential victims.

“It is intended that this campaign will help workers to learn the signs of modern slavery and report potential victims to the modern slavery helpline,” said the spokesman.

GLAA chief executive Michael Rich said: “Modern slavery hides in plain sight.

“This campaign is vitally important in educating those workers about what signs to be alert to, what they can do to help, and who to contact if they have concerns.

“They are our eyes and ears and the information they provide could be crucial – it could end suffering and even save lives.”