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The Photograph Of A Woman Cleaning A Window Is More Sinister Than You Think

The Photograph Of A Woman Cleaning A Window Is More Sinister Than You Think

The seemingly innocent photo is being used to highlight a shocking practice that still goes on today in the UK

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

A seemingly innocent photograph of a woman cleaning a window is being shared by police.

But there is more to it than meets the eye and cops are asking people to tell them 'what they really see'.

The picture which shows a woman wiping the glass on a large bay window is being used to warn the public about the dangers of forced servitude, a type of modern slavery.

It is something that most people in the UK had probably assumed had been consigned to the dustbin of history - times have changed and people are no longer seen as objects for trade.

Sadly this is not the case and in a shocking warning Avon and Somerset Police shared the photograph of the woman cleaning the window to show what modern slavery actually looks like.

A post on the force's Facebook page said: "Do you see someone who is always inside the home cleaning? They are also never out of the home on their own?

"This could be an indicator of domestic servitude. Many victims won't know they're being exploited and need you to be a voice for them."

Wiltshire Police also shared a video telling people what they should look out for when trying to spot signs modern slavery, as part of the #TellUsWhatYouSee campaign.

They wrote: "Do you see an individual responsible for the care of children 24 hours a day who is never 'allowed' out of the house on their own? Domestic servitude is almost invisible, but we know it's happening."

This comes as part of a wider campaign to show members of the public warning signs that someone is potentially being coerced into sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude, child exploitation, criminal exploitation.

According tot Avon and Somerset police, over the past two years they have seen an increase in the number of reports about modern slavery but say more people are becoming aware of the problem.

Police warn public about modern slavery.
Avon and Somerset Police

They said: "It's likely this increase is due to increased media interest in modern slavery at car washes and nail bars.

"We rely heavily on the public to be our eyes and ears, to be in the places we can't always be in. Intelligence plays a huge role in our fight to tackle crime; information received from the public could be the missing piece of a puzzle or break-through in a case.

"Modern day slavery is happening across the UK and we need your help to protect some of society's most vulnerable people, who all too often don't have a voice."

To report your concerns call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

You can also call the National Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700.

Featured Image Credit: Avon and Somerset Police

Topics: Viral, Police, UK News, News, Interesting, crime