A MAN has been charged with modern slavery, assault and robbery offences.

Police arrested and charged the 40-year-old from from Crewe earlier this week, after discovering that he had held another man in slavery since the end of last year.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: "At 3.04am on April 5 police were called to an address in Station Road in Winsford following reports of theft.

"Further investigation led to the discovery a 42-year-old man had been forced to carry out unpaid work at an address in Crewe between December 2016 and April 2017.

"Officers arrested and later charged a 40-year-old man from Crewe with two counts of assault by beating, robbery and holding a person in slavery or servitude."

The man appeared before magistrates in Crewe on April 7. He was remanded in custody and will appear at Chester Crown Court in May.

The Guardian reported last week that 20 victims of modern day slavery were found in Cheshire in 2016 – up from eight the previous year.