THE owner of a nail bar in Royal Wootton Bassett where two people were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences is adamant that they did not work there.

Van Nguyen got in touch with one of our sister papers after a 23-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman at Lavish Nails and Beauty were arrested and handed over to the immigration authority as part of a police operation to combat modern slavery.

The Adver published the police’s report on the operation but he disputed the implication that the pair worked at his nail bar.

He said: “Only myself and my partner work here full-time and we sometimes employ a couple of local girls.

“The people the police spoke to were only visiting and do not work here.

“The girl came in for a visit and went outside to talk to the man then the police arrived and arrested them, I don’t really know what happened.”

However, the police offer a rather interesting alternative view of what occurred during their visit to Mr Nguyen’s business.

A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police said: “Officers believe the people that were arrested were working in the nail bar.

“They had tools, were sat opposite customers and removed blue gloves before attempting to run off.”

When the Adver approached the nail bar for a response to this comment, they again insisted that the man and woman never worked there and repeatedly said they were ‘too busy’ too elaborate.

Lavish Nails and Beauty was one of 23 nail bars in Swindon and Wiltshire visited by police on Wednesday and Thursday to crack down on businesses exploiting immigrants.

Police and immigration officers checked on the welfare of the nail bars’ employees and assessed whether there was any evidence of potential exploitation.

The man and woman in Royal Wootton Bassett were the only ones arrested on suspicion of entering the UK without leave, while three potential victims were identified in other parts of Wiltshire.

These three were immediately referred via the National Referral Mechanism to ensure that they were given accommodation and further support.

Victims of human trafficking and exploitation aren’t always immediately obvious to spot but there are some potential indicators that may help the public.

For example, their appearance may hold clues as to how they are being treated, they may not speak any English, they may show emotional signs of exploitation such as anxiety, fear, withdrawal or distress.

They may also appear to be very young or they appear to have no prior experience of the job they are doing.

Business owners found to employ illegal workers are potentially liable for fines of up to £20,000 for each illegal employee within their business.

If members of the public have concerns that someone may be a victim of exploitation they should call 101 and give as much detail as possible.