Two Hersham men have been found guilty of human trafficking after a five-week trial at Kingston Crown Court.

Hungarian nationals Laszlo Egeresi, 37, and Gabor Olah, 25, both of Molesey Road, were convicted of two counts of human trafficking for the purposes of exploitation.

Egeresi was also convicted of a third count, but found not guilty of a fourth, on Friday, March 9.

Detective Constable Alex Protts said: “We are delighted with this result after months of hard work. This operation was not only about tackling those that exploit vulnerable people through human trafficking and modern-day slavery but also to hold out a lifeline to help those that are victims of these crimes.

"This case was particularly challenging as we had to persuade one of the victims to come back from Hungary to give evidence. All evidence was given in Hungarian and translated during the trial."

Surrey Police officers executed three warrants in Walton in the early hours of Friday, June 23, along with the National Crime Agency, the DWP, The Salvation Army and the Red Cross.

Officers acted on information that EU nationals working legally as kitchen staff were being exploited for excessive costs for accommodation, transport and admin.

The offences took place between March 2015 and June 2017.

Detective Superintendent Karen Mizzi said: “I am extremely pleased with the outcome of this case after all the hard work that has been undertaken over the past couple of months.

“Modern slavery is a crime that exploits the most vulnerable people in our society, often in the form of labour exploitation.

“People think of it as something that happened years ago certainly not today and certainly not within the leafy streets of Surrey. However, signs of slavery are often hidden making it difficult to spot victims, but it is closer than you think. Victims caught up in modern slavery are extremely vulnerable and, as we did in this case, we will do everything we can to protect them.”