POLICE officers raided six premises across Colchester in a bid to identify potential victims of human trafficking.

Five barber shops and one car wash were inspected in the town throughout the day today.

The inspections were led by Colchester’s Community Policing Team with support from Special Constables.

The officers were also joined by representatives from HMRC and Colchester Council.

In total, officers spoke to 35 workers throughout the day but did not identify any victims of human trafficking.

PC Nathan Suley, of Colchester Community Policing Team, said: "The aim of operations like this is to ensure the safety of workers across Colchester.

"We want to make sure that they’re being looked after by businesses, and also that they’re working legally.

"We’ll continue to make regular checks in workplaces across Colchester to certify the status and safety of employees in the town."