A boost for the british car industry Jaguar Land Rover is investing hundreds of millions of pounds to build a range of electric vehicles. Boris johnson and jeremy hunt face off at a hustings in darlington, as the first conservative leadership ballot papers arrive on doorsteps. The ultimate in rewiring the pioneering nerve surgery that brings movement to hands and elbows. Ill pick something up with my left that i wouldnt be able to do with my right. Then once i can get it in my right hand, i have a lot of strength in it, and i can hold onto things. And coming up on bbc news england and chelsea midfielder karen carney will retire from club and International Football after saturdays womens world cup third place play off against sweden. Good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. A gang behind the biggest modern day Slavery Network ever exposed in the uk has been convicted of offences including trafficking, Money Laundering and forcing people to perform forced labour. Police believe there were up to 400 victims put to work by the polish organised crime gang in the west midlands. A three year Police Investigation uncovered a well organised system which preyed on the homeless, ex prisoners and alcoholics, from poland. The victims were forced to carry out manual labour on farms and in factories earning millions for their masters. Sima kotecha reports. Their victims, some as young as 17, were made to live in rooms like these filthy, often rat infested with no heating or light. The gang was made up of five men and three women, all from poland. 52 year old ignacy brzezinski, 41 year old Wojciech Nowa kowski and 26 year old jan sadowski were found guilty of modern slavery offences. For the first time, the bbc can report that in february, five others were convicted of their roles in the conspiracy and have been jailed. Together, they preyed on the vulnerable in poland former prisoners, the homeless, alcoholics. They were promised a wealthy life in britain and were quickly transported from their homeland to the west midlands, so they didnt have time to change their minds. Translation to be honest, i came here to start a new life, but i didnt know that this new life would start with such really big problems. I couldnt even leave the house to go for a walk. They were following me, spying on me. They were controlling me. More than 90 victims gave evidence during the case, but Police Believe the true number of victims is in the hundreds. They lived in the Black Country and were forced to work in factories and on farms, carrying out manual labour for as little as 50p a day, while their masters took the rest of their earnings. West Midlands Police began looking into what was happening four years ago, and named their investigation 0peration fort. They would convince the victims, for example, that they were unlawfully in the country, that if they left the house that the traffickers provided for them, that they would be arrested by the police. Sometimes they were given a debt, so they were told that they owed the traffickers £5,000 and they had to work off that debt. So there is a lot of these methods the traffickers would use to make them feel trapped. 0ne slave had his arm broken for complaining, while another was stripped naked in front of others for speaking out. The gang was discovered after charities identified victims. This man works undercover and wants to remain anonymous. Very withdrawn, physically shaken, disorientated. We had victims presenting with black eyes, one victim presented with a broken arm, so, his broken arm had reset itself out of alignment. Ripped clothing, emaciated. While the victims suffered, the gang bosses lived an opulent lifestyle, driving lavish cars and buying designer clothes. Over five years, they made at least £2 million. Investigators believe its the largest such prosecution of its kind in europe. Charities are urging the public to keep a lookout for other victims, who could be being exploited in similar ways. Sima, this is a dreadful story how did the Police Discover it was happening . Well, the same victims were going to the same soup kitchen in west bromwich, and that sub kirsten was won by a charity, and they identified the people. That soup kitchen. They were concerned because the people were conveying signs of exploitation and they went to the police. So the police have been looking into this for three years, involving around 400 victims, they say, or even more than that. Many we re say, or even more than that. Many were allured to the west midlands, where they were forced to carry out manual labour on farms and in factories, for as little as 50p per day, while those slavery masters took most of the earnings. The judge today said something very interesting in court. Judge mary stacey said, modern slavery is a big problem in britain and it is going on in plain sight. Thats something the charities we have been speaking to, behind closed doors, have echoed. They are urging the public to look out for signs of exportation and to be very alert as to how big this problem could be and how people must report anything suspicious to the police. Sima kotecha, thank you very much. Jaguar land rover is investing hundreds of millions of pounds to build a range of electric vehicles at its Castle Bromwich plant in birmingham. Jlr says the move will help secure the jobs of 2,700 workers at the plant. Todays announcement appears to contradict previous warnings byjlr that investment in the uk would be threatened by a no deal brexit. Theo leggett reports. The midlands can be a benchmark. Thousands of Jaguar Land Rover employees gathered this morning to hearan employees gathered this morning to hear an announcement which appears to make the future of the Castle Bromwich factory much more secure. Todayis bromwich factory much more secure. Today is the day of electrifying the plant and honouring our people who are going with us to define a new, electrified future, and that we will have a complete shift in production, that we have to transform production in the way that we go now, in the electrified era. 2500 people work at the plant and at a time when the company is cutting thousands ofjobs elsewhere, they at least have cause to celebrate. This is fantastic news notjust for to celebrate. This is fantastic news not just for todays workforce here at Castle Bromwich, but for the next generation, those that want to come into stable, decent work in a fantastic industry. It is a confidence boost for a world class workforce. We have all been concerned with the changes in the industry and the changes on the environment which have been put in by the government. It is good news that we have got a good future ahead of us. Are you going to be celebrating tonight . |j of us. Are you going to be celebrating tonight . I certainly will be. This production line used to make 150 jaguar cars per week. As you can see it is now silent. All of this kit will soon be ripped out as the plant prepares for what Jaguar Land Rover describes as the biggest transformation in its history, ready for a brand new electric future. The company is investing nearly £1 billion at Castle Bromwich. It is also building this new battery plant, and it will make electric motors in wolverhampton. It is an ambitious strategy, but one which experts say the Company Simply has to make. Electric cars that are genuinely competitive with the Combustion Engine are just arriving. But as their cost comes down and their range improves, increasingly, we will switch over. In the next five years there is going to be a big push towards electric cars, and Car Companies have no choice but to try to get into that. Jaguar land rover is calling on the government to support electric cars as well. It says what is really needed is battery production on a massive scale so that the entire industry can benefit. It is setting its future on the development of these new technologies, which is exactly where the rest of the industry is going. What matters now is that weve got to turn this into a national shift, and making sure that the way to do that is, as i am sure Jaguar Land Rover will say, is getting what they call a giga factory to make the batteries here in the uk, because that really matters for the future. This announcement has come at what has otherwise been a gloomy time for the uk car industry. Thanks to falling sales at home and in key markets abroad as well as the uncertainty of brexit. But at Castle Bromwich, today at least, there was something today at least, there was something to smile about. Theo leggett, bbc news, Castle Bromwich. Our Business Editor simon jack is at the Castle Bromwich plant now. And it is that rare thing, good news for the british car industry . Terrific news, simon. Youve got to remember thatjaguar terrific news, simon. Youve got to remember that Jaguar Land Rover terrific news, simon. Youve got to remember thatJaguar Land Rover has had 6000 redundancies over the last two years, so the news that this will secure the future of 2500 was cause for celebration. Also it was interesting that it came at a Jaguar Land Rover, because they have issued some of the most shrill warnings about the threat of a possible no deal brexit to the industry. So, some will be saying, where they crying wolf . The other thing we are saying, as theo pointed out, there isa saying, as theo pointed out, there is a massive transformation going on in the global car industry, Something Like £240 billion going to be committed over the next two years to the move to electric. So although this sounds like a lot of money, it isa this sounds like a lot of money, it is a small drop in electric vehicle investment, in which the uk is actually lagging behind. The question for consumers is, are we going to be prepared to drive these cars . About 1 of the market is electric. With the charging infrastructure as it is, will this plant be making cars that people wa nt to plant be making cars that people want to buy and to drive . What about other Car Companies using britain as a base . It is less rosy there, the picture . Well, it is less rosy. If you look at investment in the car industry over the last three years, it has fallen by some 80 , from £2. 5 billion to around £600 million last year. This will know doubt help. But the big car manufacturers, vw for example is committing 91 billion, thatis example is committing 91 billion, that is one company, and none of that is one company, and none of thatis that is one company, and none of that is coming to the uk. 45 of it is going to china, some to the rest of europe, and some to north america. Mercedes are committing £42 billion. So the big players are making big moves, and a lot of people here are saying, if we can get this gigawatt factory here, it would be a real magnet for investment because they are big, heavy items, you get a big plant like that, other things will cluster around it. That is what this Manufacturing Industry really needs in the uk. Even if all cars are powered by clean electricity, researchers say the total number of cars on the roads will have to be reduced. The report from the centre for research into Energy Demand solutions warns that electrifying cars will not address traffic jams, urban sprawl and obesity. The government said it was spending £2bn to promote walking and cycling, but it is also planning to spend £50bn on improving roads. The two contenders for the leadership of the conservative party have been taking part in hustings with voters in darlington today. Borisjohnson denied he was ever left out of Intelligence Briefings during his time as foreign secretary. The bbc understands downing street attempted to withhold some secret intelligence from mrjohnson, a move that caused concern among Senior Intelligence officials. 0ur Political Correspondent nick eardley reports. Do conservatives trust him . Boris johnson could be in no 10 in three weeks time. But it has emerged the current pm had real concerns about his ability to keep information confidential. Were you blocked from seeing any in intelligence when you we re seeing any in intelligence when you were foreign secretary, tojohnson . Isaid were foreign secretary, tojohnson . I said that politics is not a game. The bbc understands there was an attempt to withhold sensitive intelligence when mrjohnson was foreign secretary. Some have suggested it was control freak array from no 10. Others, that there was nervousness in the Intelligence Community. Were you aware at the time that perhaps some Sensitive Information was being held back from you . Its not true and i dont comment on intelligence matters. You deny it altogether . No 10 says theresa may did trust borisjohnson but it will not comment directly on intelligence. Nor would the other leadership candidate. We have a role that we never comment on intelligence matters. Boris johnsons team says he got all the information he needed as foreign secretary and it is unlikely this will have a major impact on the leadership race. But as conservatives start voting for our next Prime Minister, there are others in the party who have their concerns. This former pm says he is backin concerns. This former pm says he is back injeremy concerns. This former pm says he is back in jeremy hunt. It is fairly evident from my view is that i cannot vote for somebody who was pa rt of cannot vote for somebody who was part of the Brexit Campaign which misled the country, so i shall offer my vote to jeremy hunt. At the same time, current cabinet ministers are planning to do whatever they can to stop either candidate leaving europe without a deal. Let me quote the speaker of the house of commons, who has said that if the house of commons is determined to do something, hes quite sure that it will find a way. Boris johnson and jeremy hunt will both say that leaving with no deal in four months time must be an option. We are facing an existential crisis, as a party and indeed as a political class, if i may say so. Any negotiator has their hand profoundly weakened if the other side think that you cant walk away. But they both know, if it comes to it, getting the numbers for no deal will be tough, particularly in a political age where trust is often in short supply. Nick eardley, bbc news. Lets get more now from our Political Correspondent alex forsyth who was at those hustings in darlington. os and all this is the first ballot paper start arriving. Yeah, we have reached the Crucial Point in this contest, whereas you say, ballot papers are landing on the doorsteps of conservative party members. Some posting on social media already that they have taken their opportunity to vote, despite their the the fact that there are a series of debates to come. The character of the candidates becomes more prevalent, and of course the question today was about Boris Johnson in and of course the question today was about borisjohnson in the role as foreign secretary. Multiple sources indicate that when he first took up thejob, there were indicate that when he first took up the job, there were concerns indicate that when he first took up thejob, there were concerns in downing street and in the Intelligence Community about his ability to keep things confidential and be discreet with information, which is crucial to the security of the country. Borisjohnson has dismissed that anything was withheld from him, dismissed the story, saying it wasnt true, and perhaps it was in part down to theresa mays character as Prime Minister. It is something she did in the home office and continued in number ten, and there are years of political animosity between theresa may and borisjohnson, all of animosity between theresa may and Boris Johnson, all of which animosity between theresa may and borisjohnson, all of which may play our part at this point. Play a part. The key thing is this, when it comes to choosing between the candidates in this election, who do people trust . Borisjohnson is confident he can win the trust of members, not least on brexit. And when you speak to people coming out of these debates in, people are impressed with borisjohnson, they say he has the personality to carry the streusel. The others say he has the personality to carry the others suggest thatjeremy hunt comes across as more Prime Ministerial, more considered. These are the questions that are run peoples minds as they put a cross in the box, and they will decide not just the party leader but the Prime Minister. Either borisjohnson orjeremy hunt will be announced as the new Prime Minister on the 23rd july. Yesterday, we had a closer look atjeremy hunt. Today, its mrjohnsons turn. Heres our Political Correspondent chris mason. As a child, borisjohnson said he wanted to be world king. Oh, well, being Prime Minister isnt too bad. And if he beatsjeremy hunt, he will be. He has made a political career out of being different. I could have illustrated this with all sorts of pictures, but these take some beating. Oh, and this is pretty good too. Oh, no so, who is borisjohnson . He went to school at e