A vulnerable teenager has been rescued from suspected modern slavery during a day of police action in Chester and Ellesmere Port.

Believed to be just 16-years-old, the youngster has been taken to a place of safety.

Cheshire Police visited six businesses, primarily nail bars, in Cheshire West during an operation on October 18.

They had joined forces with the council, health and housing agencies as well as Immigration Enforcement to carry out the investigations.

Their intelligence suggested there was a risk of employees at these premises being exploited.

Cheshire Police are cracking down on modern day slavery.

The potential modern day slavery victim was removed and a woman was also arrested for breaching her visa conditions.

Detective Chief Inspector Gwyn Dodd said: “The efforts of all involved yesterday show the continued commitment to tackling the issue of modern day slavery and I would like to thank our partners for their support.

“Modern day slavery is a challenging issue to deal with as it is very much a hidden crime – and the true extent of the problem is not known.

“Operations such as this are helping us to build up a bigger picture of what is happening in Cheshire and understand better the true extent of the issue.”

Health and safety issues as well as possible immigration offences were also spotted and ‘will be followed up by the relevant agency’.

Immigration Enforcement were also involved in action on modern day slavery in Chester and Ellesmere Port

Cheshire Police’s operations coincided with other forces across the North West during a week of action.

Modern day slavery takes many forms but the most common include sexual exploitation, forced labour and domestic servitude.

Anyone who has any information about this type of crime or is concerned about someone being a potential victim is urged to call Cheshire Police on 101.

If you do not feel comfortable contacting police directly then information can be passed on anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.

Alternatively, you can call the modern slavery helpline on 0800 0121 700 or visit www.modernslavery.co.uk .