Man arrested in connection with alleged slavery at Travellers' site

A man charged in connection with alleged slavery offences following a police raid at a Travellers' site in Leighton Buzzard has been remanded in custody by magistrates.

Tommy Connors Senior (aegd 51) appeared at Luton Magistrates' Court charged with 11 offences of conspiracy to place people in servitude or false labour, a Bedfordshire Police spokeswoman said.

The 51-year-old, from Greenacres caravan site, in Bedfordshire, was remanded in custody to appear at Luton Crown Court on December 5.

The charges relate to alleged victims who were removed from the Greenacres site in Leighton Buzzard, following a police raid on September 11.

The charges were brought under Section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, which came into force last year.

Last month Josie Connors, 30, was bailed after she appeared in front of magistrates charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit offences of holding people in servitude and two counts of requiring people to perform forced labour. She will appear at Luton Crown Court on December 5.

Johnny Connors (aged 30) was remanded in custody after a magistrates' court appearance to face charges of one count of conspiracy to hold someone in servitude and one count of conspiracy to require someone to perform forced labour. Connors is another brother of three other men who were first charged in connection with the site.

James (Jimmy) Connors (aged 23); Tommy Connors (aged 27) and Patrick Connors (aged 19), were all charged with slavery offences and remanded in custody to reappear at crown court on December 5.

Their brother-in-law, James (Big Jim) Connors (aged 33), was also in the dock charged with slavery offences and remanded to reappear at Luton Crown Court.