London: British police say they have rescued 17 men, women and children in northern England as part of an investigation into human trafficking.
West Yorkshire police said today a three-day, multi-agency operation involved visiting 25 addresses across Leeds, in northern England, to help families identified as potential trafficking victims.
The force said 17 people mainly from Slovakia were rescued. Many were living in poor conditions with "little if any" income. It said others were being forced to work long hours for little or no pay.
Thirty-three other people approached during the operation "preferred not to cooperate and remained where they were," police added.
Police said eight people have been arrested and bailed as part of the investigation launched in September.
