MODERN slavery is "alive and well" in Croydon, according to the council.
The rather worrying admission was made in a press release issued by the council this afternoon (Tuesday) to promote an upcoming conference.
The council statement begins: "Modern slavery is, alarmingly, alive and well and living in Croydon, and it is this worrying fact that will be examined in a one-day conference on Friday 17 October."
The invitation-only event will run from 9.30am to 3.30pm at Croydon Conference Centre, in Surrey Street, with council staff, police, doctors, church groups, community organisations and NHS staff among those in attendance.
Topics for discussion, according to the council release, will include "developing an understanding of the scale and depth of modern slavery and its impact on the victim" and "hearing of recent developments in the fight against slavery locally, nationally and internationally."