WHEN single mum Shannon bonded with another parent on her street after a boozy Valentine’s Day night out, she thought she’d finally found a pal she could trust.
Just months later, she was suffering sleepless nights fearing her children would be caught up in terrifying arson attacks, watching helplessly as her home was burgled and left battling shadowy debts totaling over £50,000.
TSAShocking new figures reveal how ordinary Brits are becoming trapped in modern slavery[/caption]What started as an innocent-looking friendship had turned into a nightmare tale of fear and manipulation. Shannon had become a victim of modern-day slavery.
Now officially recognised by the Government as a survivor, Shannon, 37, from the East Midlands, is rebuilding her life with help from The Salvation Army.
Her story shatters the stereotype that victims are only foreign nationals trafficked into the UK.
New figures, shared exclusively with The Sun, reveal 246 British men and women were referred for help to The Salvation Army last year.
It’s the fifth year running Brits have been the second largest group of adult survivors accessing its support.
Of them, 89 were forced labour victims and 50 suffered sexual exploitation.
Only slightly more – 264 Vietnamese people – were referred for help, making them the largest group.
For Shannon*, these shocking new statistics aren’t just lines in a report but the horrifying reality of her own experience – one that could play out in any ordinary British neighbourhood.
It was Valentine’s Day 2019 when she met Kate, a local coffee shop manager, at the pub with mutual friend Justine.
“I was disgusted because Kate was there with her ex and Justine was coming onto him,” Shannon says. “The next day his car was outside Justine’s. I told Kate, and we bonded over that and the fact we both had young kids.”
Soon Kate, who lived on the same street, was visiting constantly.
“I opened up to her. She was like a sister to me,” says Shannon. “She’d call me Auntie Shannon and I trusted her completely.”
Separated from her children’s father and estranged from her parents, Shannon finally felt someone cared.
Five months later, struggling to afford her son’s birthday, she confided in Kate – who quickly offered to loan her £250.
TSAShannon, as posed by a model, finally went to the police to seek help[/caption]“She said, ‘Shannon, I don’t need it — pay me back when you can.’ I just thought how kind she was.”
When her other son’s birthday came in October, Justine once again chipped in £150. But as the cash offers continued, Shannon’s other friends began disappearing.
“Before I met Kate, I had loads of mates and I’d never been in debt. But they didn’t like her and stopped coming round. I felt isolated.”
Then everything changed.
Demands, threats, and set-ups
Kate suddenly demanded repayment, saying the money belonged to her boyfriend – a boyfriend Shannon wasn’t aware before then had even existed.
“She said it wasn’t her money – it was his, and he wanted it back. Then she added interest. She said if I didn’t pay it back immediately I’d have to pay more and then more.”
Worse was to come.
Kate told her she could clear the debt quicker if she stored marijuana in her house.
She said her boyfriend might set fire to my house while me and my kids were inside by putting something through the letter box. I felt trapped
ShannonFeeling cornered, Shannon reluctantly agreed.
But days later she was burgled – and the drugs vanished.
“I knew she’d set me up,” Shannon says. “No one else knew they were there.”
Then came the bombshell. She supposedly now owed £20,000 for the drugs too.
“They said the bag must’ve been worth that much. I was terrified.”
What is modern slavery and how does The Salvation Army help?
Modern slavery is when someone loses their freedom and is controlled and exploited by others for profit - through forced labour, crime, or sexual exploitation.
Shocking forced labour cases over recent years have revealed how Brit gangs have used trafficked immigrants to supply top supermarkets and housed them in squalid garden sheds.
In 2017, traveller clan the Rooneys were caged after enslaving 18 homeless men who were beaten with shovels and put to work in their tarmacking firm for up to 26 years.
One ring exposed in 2019 saw homeless drug addicts forced to work up to 100 hours a week at businesses including a McDonald’s drive-thru in Cambridgeshire.
Meanwhile, the gang leaders themselves were making hundreds of thousands of pounds a year from the slave labour, splashing the cash on Versace gear and brazenly sharing snaps of £20 notes hanging from their Christmas tree.
Earlier this year, we also reported on how vile sex traffickers are delivering child slaves ‘like takeaways’ to the homes of UK predators.
Our shocking investigation revealed how, operating behind the walls of ordinary-looking homes, girls as young as 12 have been forced to have sex with up to 20 men a day.
However, The Salvation Army’s new report reveals slavery gangs continue to target British as well as foreign nationals.
The charity estimates that as many as 70,000 Brits could currently be living in exploitation across the UK.
For 14 years, the Government has funded The Salvation Army to deliver specialist support for adult survivors across England and Wales under the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract.
The charity provides safe accommodation, access to medical, psychological, financial and legal support and help rebuilding lives.
Cambridgeshire ConstabularyModern slavery can take many forms, with one recent shocking case revealing how trafficked victims were forced to live in a freezing cold shed in north London[/caption] Cambridgeshire ConstabularyThe shed some slaves lived in only had a tarpaulin over it to keep it waterproof[/caption] FacebookBrothers Zdenek and Ernest Drevenak were the leaders of the trafficking gang[/caption] Cambridgeshire ConstabularyCCTV shown in court showed one of the gang members stamping on a slave’s head[/caption]The manipulation intensified.
She says: “Justine kept coming round, asking for money. She’d move things in my house, make me think I was losing it. She’d count my repayments and claim they were short, adding more debt.
“She made me believe I couldn’t cope without her.”
At the same time, she began making increasingly sinister threats.
Shannon says: “She said her boyfriend might set fire to my house while me and my kids were inside by putting something through the letter box. I felt trapped.”
Kate then asked her to stash cocaine, which she refused.
Desperate to be left alone, Shannon instead handed over personal documents, including her passport and signature, fearing what they might do.
She made me believe I couldn’t cope without her
Shannon“I knew they’d use them for something dodgy, but I just wanted them gone and she kept asking and asking.”
Soon, bills started arriving for things she’d never bought and then a bank account was opened in her name.
Kate forced her to withdraw £15,000 from it, claiming it was repayment for the “lost” drugs.
“In the end I snapped and told her to get out,” Shannon says. “Then I moved away for a year with my new partner.”
When Shannon eventually returned, realising she needed to sort out her finances, she shut herself off – blinds drawn, doors locked.
‘My kids will have nothing’
By late 2021 she knew she needed help. Her bank account was frozen and bills piled up.
“I’d buried my head in the sand, but I couldn’t sleep. I just kept thinking, ‘My kids will have nothing’,” she says.
A friend put her in touch with a local debt charity, and during an appointment they opened an envelope from Lloyds.
“It said I’d taken out a £50,000 loan,” she recalls. “I was devastated. I thought, ‘What the hell am I going to do?’”
Terrified but determined, Shannon finally went to the police.
“I didn’t trust them at first because I’d got into trouble as a teen,” she admits. “I thought they wouldn’t believe me. But they realised I was vulnerable and helped me get support.”
Shannon was referred to The Salvation Army under the Government’s Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract, which offers support like counselling, safe accommodation, when needed, and help managing debts to survivors in England and Wales as they recover and rebuild their lives.
With the support of her key worker Nici, she’s now slowly rebuilding her life.
West Midlands PoliceGangsters behind of one of Britain’s biggest ever modern slavery rings, who forced victims to work in supply chains for major supermarkets[/caption]How to spot modern slavery victims
MODERN slavery and exploitation can often be hard to spot as victims are often too scared to speak up. These are the some signs according to charity Unseen that may indicate someone is being exploited.
Often victims aren’t allowed to travel on their own. They may seem unfamiliar with where they live or work, and tend not to interact with other people. They don’t have documents they need to travel such as passports or ID. Always wearing the same clothes or same few items. Few personal possessions. Avoiding eye contact. Appearing frightened, or hesitant to talk to strangers. Fear of law enforcers. hey’re always be dropped off at/ collected from work; and very early in the morning or late at night. Signs of physical or psychological abuse, such as untreated injuries, anxiety, agitation, or appearing to be withdrawn and neglected. They look malnourished or unkempt. Working and living at the same address“Nici has literally saved my life,” Shannon says. “I had no confidence, no self-worth — I just felt so stupid. But she made me realise the gaslighting and manipulation weren’t my fault.”
Her debts are now managed, and the fraudulent loans will be written off.
But the trauma runs deep – and those who exploited her remain free.
“The woman still lives on my street,” she says. “She was interviewed by Police but there wasn’t enough evidence for her to be charged with anything.”
Alarming figures
In the past year, 2,409 potential victims of modern slavery – from 111 nationalities – entered The Salvation Army’s support service.
The shocking figures are released ahead of Anti-Slavery Day on Saturday, which raises awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery.
Of these, 65 per cent experienced forced labour, 20 per cent sexual exploitation, and 10 per cent criminal exploitation. Half were men.
Among the parents helped, 792 children came with them.
Although referrals fell by 332 compared to the year before, the charity warns this isn’t because slavery is declining – but because victims fear being treated as criminals.
The charity also warns the Brits they support are part of a far wider group in need.
National Crime Agency data shows 4,409 British nationals were referred into a National Referral Mechanism – a framework for identifying and supporting potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking – between October 2023 and September 2024. That’s over half of all referrals.
By comparing those identified British victims (4,409) with recent estimates from the Global Slavery Index of 122,000 total victims in the UK, the charity calculates that for every one British person referred for support, between 11 and 16 others remain trapped in exploitation but unseen.
They estimate that means as many as 70,000 Brits could currently be living in exploitation across the UK.
The Salvation Army also says inconsistent training for First Responders, such as police and local authorities leaves many victims unseen and unsupported.
Shannon’s message is simple: “Get help, no matter what.
“I was scared of going to the police, but I’m glad I did. However hard it is, it’s worse living trapped and manipulated.
“I thought I was streetwise, I never thought I could be controlled like that. These people find your vulnerabilities and exploit them.
“Modern slavery can happen to anyone.”
*All names have been changed to protect identities.
If you suspect you or someone you’ve met could be a victim of modern slavery, visit The Salvation Army or call its 24/7 confidential helpline on 0800 808 3733.
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