Ten men and one woman ran a driveway resurfacing company, through which they forced victims to work for them for little or no pay.
They were housed in squalid conditions, in caravans with no running water or toilets while the Rooney family lived a life of luxury, taking regular, extravagant holidays.
While victims were ‘not physically trapped’, detectives added they had been emotionally and physically abused, making them too scared to leave.
Eleven members of the Rooney family are appealing against their convictions and sentences.
The experience of four victims
Fred, a man in his 60s with a mild learning disability, first encountered the Rooney family when he went to a drop-in centre to get food.
They offered him work and accommodation for two months, but what followed was 15 years of working under the Rooney’s regime in terrible conditions.
He told the report’s authors that he kept warm in a sleeping bag, he had no water, went to the toilet in the woods and was paid in fish and chips or tobacco.
“I got belted no end of times. They use fists or a hammer,” and he could not fight back “because he would get his two lads and it would be even worse.”
Charlie M and Janet were a married couple who signed their house over to the Rooneys before being forced to work for them.
In 2011, a community psychiatric nurse raised concerns about financial abuse but the referrals were not progressed at the time.
Charlie M said: “They treated me right nice until we moved. I got on OK. They were not threatening but would give me a warning.
“I didn’t know about modern slavery at that time. It was like a community.”
Charlie K was a man in his 60s with learning difficulties who, following the death of his wife, became very depressed before gambling and drinking regularly.
A white van pulled up in front of Charlie K and the driver said he knew him before offering him a caravan, a job, clothes and “this and that.”
He lived in squalid conditions and started being involved in rogue trading while the Rooneys were withdrawing money from his account and punching him.
“I drew out £600. He didn’t even let the money touch my hand. He even took the card off me. Knowing he’d have hit me. I was frightened, yes.”
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Can you help us identify the woman in these CCTV images?
We are appealing for help to identify the woman shown in these CCTV images following a theft that occurred on Wednesday 22 June in Grimsby.
A 92-year-old woman was walking through Freshney Place Shopping centre, Grimsby when it is believed that her purse was taken from her shopping trolley.
The woman in these images we believe may be able to assist with our investigations and we would ask anyone who believes they recognise her to please contact us on our non-emergency 101 line quoting log 246 of 23 June.
A retired fire engine that used to operate in Grimsby was used in Ukraine to help combat a missile attack on a shopping centre, which the G7 has described as a ‘war crime’ by Russia.
On Monday, footage emerged of a missile striking a shopping centre in the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky claiming is is evidence of a deliberate attack by Russia.
At least 20 people were killed and around 56 were injured following the incident, with G7 leaders saying the attack is considered a war crime. More than 1,000 people were inside the building when it was hit by the missile.
A familiar looking fire engine can be seen in video footage of the blaze shared across news outlets and social media platforms, in the form of an old Humberside Fire & Rescue vehicle.
Large shopping mall in Kremenchuk with hundreds of civilians inside has been hit by a Russian strike. Russia is a disgrace to humanity and it must face consequences. The response should be more heavy arms for Ukraine, more sanctions on Russia, and more businesses leaving Russia. pic.twitter.com/Uvi6fbyShK
The fire engine used to operate here in North East Lincolnshire, covering Grimsby and Immingham, and it is one of many vehicles sent out by Humberside Fire & Rescue to various countries across Europe in recent years.
Fire Aid recently sent a convoy of around 75 vehicles, equipment and clothing to Ukraine to help provide resources for recovery.
At least 20 people were killed in the incident. | Photo: BBC Look North
Area manager Matthew Sutcliffe told BBC Look North: “We’ve sent a number of fire engines since 2015 over there. These are end of life fire engines for us in Humberside, so we share them across Eastern Europe where we can.
“It’s an absolute tragedy what we saw yesterday. Firefighters there were using one of our old fire engines to protect the property but also save lives.”
"Absolute terrorism" – says @ZelenskyyUa and publishes a video of a deliberate missile strike on the Kremenchuk shopping center with people inside. Russian propaganda always lies: there is no coincidence, it is a deliberate blow to intimidate the population and mass victims. pic.twitter.com/Gx1f90cMta
During a regular nightly address to the nation on Monday, president Zelensky said: “The Russian missile hit this very object, purposefully. Obviously, that was the order. It is obvious that Russian assassins received such coordinates for this missile.
“They wanted to kill as many people as possible in a peaceful city, in a regular shopping mall.”
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