The squalid conditions Sunderland slave master forced his victims to live in

Bariana, 46, who ran Valentinos takeaway in the city, is facing jail after he was convicted on Wednesday of a string of offences.

His treatment included giving his vulnerable victims leftover food in return for working for him for free.

After the crown court hearing, Chief Inspector Helena Barron, of Northumbria Police, said: "Harjit Bariana preyed on vulnerable victims for his own gain.

"He relied on the fact that they were homeless with addictions to keep them under his control.

"If they did not work then they feared they would lose their home and be unable to feed their addictions.

"Previous slavery cases have highlighted the trafficking of vulnerable victims from abroad to work in this country.

"However, in this case all of the victims were white British men – which challenges people's perception of this type of crime and highlights the fact anyone could find themselves subject to such offences.

"It is a lesson for everyone that a victim of modern day slavery can come from any walk of life and any background.

"Our message is that if something doesn't look right then it probably isn't right and we would encourage people to contact the police.

"Often people don’t realise they are victims of slavery – so it is important in order to tackle this type of crime that we encourage local communities to stay vigilant and alert.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank the victims in this case who have shown great bravery.

"I would also like to recognise the hard work of our officers on this case, and for their continued efforts to target offenders benefiting at the expense of others.

"Under the banner of Sanctuary, protecting those who find themselves vulnerable, through a whole range of crimes including modern day slavery, is Northumbria Police's number one priority."