Thames Valley Police slavery arrests
Thames Valley Police launched early morning raids that resulted in ten people being arrested for slavery offences TVP

An Oxford woman has appeared in court charged with forcing a person to work in servitude for five years.

Helen Collins, of Redbridge Hollow, Abingdon Road, South Oxford, was one of 10 people arrested by Thames Valley Police during dawn raids yesterday.

She is accused of conspiracy with others to require another person to perform forced compulsory labour between April 2010 and February 2015.

She is also charged with keeping another person in servitude between the same dates and of conspiracy to defraud between April 2002 and February 2015.

Collins, 44, was remanded in custody at Oxford Magistrates' Court to appear before Oxford Crown Court on 17 April.

About 150 officers raided more than a dozen properties during 6am raids on 26 March as part of an investigation into human exploitation, slavery and fraud.

Arrests

As well as Collins, the following people, all of whom are from Oxford, were detained:

A 56-year-old - was arrested on suspicion of servitude/ slavery.

A 44-year-old man - suspicion of making threats to kill and exploitation offences.

A 47-year-old man - suspicion of servitude/slavery, assault and making threats to kill.

A 44-year-old man - suspicion of trade offences

A 20-year-old man - suspicion of fraud.

A 44-year-old man - suspicion of fraud.

Three other men - an 18, 19 and 27-year-old - were also arrested.