Suspected people traffckers were due in court today (fri) after earlier Metropolitan police raids in Gloucestershire and the Home Counties.

Nikki Chen, 55, and Michael Dalton, 43, both unemployed and from Leatherhead in Surrey were among those due at Westminster Magistrates after officers used warrants to search premises at North Nibley, Woodmancote and School Lane in Dursley and elswhere on Wednesday.

Chen, Dalton, Ian Garrett, 46, from Epsom and Manjit Singh, 32, of Maidenhead were among seven defendants accused of conspiracy to traffic persons within the UK for sexual exploitation and controlling prostitution for gain, among other charges.

The Metropolitan vice squad said it believed the raids had cracked a multi-million pound brothel network.