South Yorkshire drugs gang 'cuckooed' vulnerable man's home

A vulnerable man whose home was taken over by a drugs gang said he feared he would never see his family again.

Chris (whose name has been changed) was "cuckooed" - a practice which sees criminals threaten people before using their homes as a base to sell drugs.

He was forced to stay inside, only being rescued when police raided his South Yorkshire home.

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) said Chris was one of thousands of people targeted each year.

The authority fears more people will be coerced into illegal activity or forced labour as the cost-of-living crisis hits.

Chris fled war in West Africa before moving to the UK as a child.

He was befriended by the gang, who soon began using his home to grow and distribute drugs.

He said: "It was a nightmare, I thought my life was going to go, I thought I was not going to be in this place again to see my family and it was really painful.

"I felt like I'd made the biggest mistake in my life."

He added: "I'm always welcoming people into my life and as soon enough they're comfortable they're taking advantage over me.

"Every day, I'm thinking 'what's going to happen?' Thinking about really where I'm going to end up, because I know that I don't have no-one in this world."

City Hearts is a South Yorkshire charity which supports victims of modern slavery and trafficking, providing advice and counselling as well as emergency accommodation including safe houses.

Kyle France from the charity said: "People come to us straight after they've been rescued, like it could be literally within hours after being taken away from their trafficker.

"Generally they will arrive a little like deer in headlights - you know, terrified.

"What always surprises and always baffles me a little bit is that people are still not aware that this happens on their doorstep."

Elysia McCaffrey from the GLAA added: "It's really prevalent actually and it's really worrying because it's in plain sight, so we actually will all have encountered it in our lives at some point.

"Things like car washes, nail bars, construction sites. Particularly with the cost of living at the moment people are more vulnerable, people are struggling, people are short of money and people are prepared to do whatever they need to do to be able to feed their families."

Chris now lives independently and is free from exploitation. He said he had a second chance thanks to City Hearts.

"I feel like they're the best support I've ever had," he said. "If it wasn't for them, I don't know where I would be or what I'd be doing now."

South Yorkshire Police said "Tackling modern slavery is a priority for the force and we will use all of the means at our disposal to identify and apprehend those who seek to enslave others."

If you have been affected by issues raised in this article, there is information and support available via the BBC Action Line.

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