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| Cumbria slavery probe: Man 'lived in shed for 40 years' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A potential victim of modern slavery has been rescued after living in a shed for 40 years, according to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. | A potential victim of modern slavery has been rescued after living in a shed for 40 years, according to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. |
| Officers found the 58-year-old British man with just a chair and soiled bedding during a raid at a residential site north of Carlisle on Wednesday. | |
| He was taken away to be assessed by specialist medical staff. | He was taken away to be assessed by specialist medical staff. |
| A 79-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of modern slavery offences. | A 79-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of modern slavery offences. |
| Martin Plimmer from the GLAA said: "The information that was given to us was that he had been kept in the shed for a period of 40 years. | |
| "When we found him he was like a rabbit in headlights and very confused. | |
| "He was just in the clothes he stood up in and where he was sleeping in the shed there was just a soiled duvet on the floor. | |
| "There was no heating and it was very cold. It was conditions that no human being should live in." | |
| 'Luxurious lifestyle' | |
| Mr Plimmer said the man appeared to have been made to carry out unpaid work from the age of 16 or 17. | |
| He added: "We're still at a very early stage of our investigations, but it appears he has been used by a family to work for them. They are living quite a luxurious lifestyle and were using him as a slave. | |
| "He has been used to paint houses, do gardening, look after horses, things like that and for excessively long hours. | |
| "He seemed traumatised, so much so that his is now receiving specialist treatment." | |
| Mr Plimmer said there were concerns about the man's mental state and he was being assessed. He added it was uncertain whether the man had ever tried to leave. | |
| "He has been traumatised for such a length of time that it will be a slow process to win back his trust, he added. | |
| "At this stage we do not even know what sort of schooling he has had. | |
| 'Sad case' | |
| He said the 79-year-old arrested man would be questioned in due course. | |
| Mr Plimmer added: "In my long career I've never come across anyone who has been held as a slave potentially for 40 years and this, I think, could be the longest period of captivity that we have dealt with. | |
| "It's an extremely sad and serious case." | |
| The raid resulted from a call to a confidential helpline, Mr Plimmer said. | |
| The operation was supported by the National Crime Agency and Cumbria Police. | The operation was supported by the National Crime Agency and Cumbria Police. |
| Cumbria Housing Department, which was investigating possible health and safety breaches, was also involved. | Cumbria Housing Department, which was investigating possible health and safety breaches, was also involved. |