Brighton waiter held over modern slavery charge

Image caption, The victim, a man in his 20s, is being supported by specialist safeguarding officers

A Brighton waiter has been charged in connection with a police investigation into modern slavery.

Zakaria El Alami, 20, faces a charge of requiring a person to perform forced labour as well as two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

It follows a report of a suspected kidnapping in Ditchling Road, Brighton, at about 13.00 GMT on Thursday, Sussex Police said.

El Alami, of North Road, Brighton, was remanded in custody.

He is due to appear before Lewes Crown Court on April 3.

The alleged victim, a local man in his 20s, was supported by specialist safeguarding officers and has been placed into the National Referral Mechanism, police said.