A NUMBER of Turkish barbers in Redditch were inspected by immigration police on Tuesday but no arrests were made.
West Mercia Police say the operation was carried out as part of its commitment to eradicating human traffic and modern slavery across North Worcestershire.
Officers, with the help of HM Immigration and the Department of Work and Pensions, checked fire safety measures, CCTV and workers’ rights to reside.
Deniz Turkish Barber on Market Place, Adam Barber on Highfield Road and Hair By Kaka on Church Green West were among those inspected.
The manager of Hair By Kaka said: “I felt a bit offended because we are a new shop and there was a lot of police.
“I could see that people were avoiding coming in because they thought there was trouble inside.
“It was bad for business as we went very quiet after they left and since then my customers have been asking about what happened.
“It makes us look bad.”
Inspector David King, who led the operation, said the idea was to visit Turkish-style barbers which had recently opened up.
He said: “People can be brought in from out of area to work in various different shops or different trades so obviously we want to make sure that we protect those that are most vulnerable and ensure that they are safe and signposted in a correct way.
“Signs to look out for are if someone appears to be very withdrawn, scared, frightened and tends to be dropped off and picked up.”
Anyone concerned about modern day slavery should call police on 101 or the Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 012 1700.
