The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A mobile app set up to combat modern slavery has led to 25 reports in Lincolnshire in just six months.
South Holland is one of the areas highlighted in the data map created by the Safe Car Wash app.
The app, developed by The Church of England group The Clewer Initiative, launched in June 2018.
The idea behind the app is that drivers can look for signs of modern slavery while they’re getting their car washed and then report any issues anonymously via the app.
The data is then shared with the National Crime Agency and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. In its first six months, 900 reports were made from the 8,000 downloads.
According to the Safe Car Wash App Report, 41 per cent of the reports “showed a likelihood of modern slavery in the hand car wash”.
A spokesman for the app said: “The results from June to December 2018 have been collated and analysed by the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab.
Their analysis has shown us that in nearly half of reports, or 48 per cent, workers did not have access to suitable protective clothing such as gloves or boots, despite many hand car washes typically requiring their workers to use potentially harmful chemicals such as hydrochloric acid.
“A large majority of responses, 80 per cent, said that the car wash had a cash only policy. Nearly one in ten, or eight per cent, of reports logged that minors were working on site, and 17 per cent of users identified fearful workers.”
The app also asked drivers to look out for nearby caravans, containers, mattresses and bedding as evidence of workers living on site.
To download the app, visit the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and search Safe Car Wash.
