THE contractor responsible for the old Trinity Church renovation has said it should have acted faster to prevent workers living in “squalid” conditions inside.

Last week, police and health and safety officers attended the former nursery, in Groundwell Road, after reports from residents that up to 12 Romanian nationals were living inside.

The site, described as a “death trap”, has now been forcibly closed, and four Romanians found inside have been advised to leave with their employers.

Principal contractors for the site, Lands and Homes Ltd, have now said they were aware the workers had been living inside the building for three days.

A spokesman for the firm said: “Firstly, I would like to reassure the public that we are against human exploitation in any form.

“Our workers are on salaries, in this country of their own free will, and have their own accommodation in London.

“Four Romanian workers did choose to sleep on site at the Trinity Hall site for three nights, with the first being April 24.

“In hindsight, this is something we should have put a stop to straight away, and rest assured, we will never allow it to happen again.

“After a conversation with Wiltshire Police, we have been informed that there will be no further investigation by the Human Exploitation Unit into these four employees.

“Secondly, the construction site has been closed temporarily by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive). This was for a number of reasons, which we are now working to address, while liaising with the HSE on a daily basis.

“We hope to be working back on site within a few days.

“The principal contractor and sub-contractors have around 25 construction workers employed at this site.”

The spokesman did not comment further on the reasons behind the site closure.

Sgt David Ibbot, of the town centre neighbourhood policing team, said the workers refused help as victims, and police involvement with them has now ended.

When his team entered the building, they found toothbrushes, mattresses, and soiled toilets.

“They are not just a danger to themselves, they are also off the radar of society,” said Sgt Ibbott.

“Our concern is if something happened to one of them like an electric shock, they would not report it to us. It is almost a no-go area, except in their world.

“This is almost voluntary exploitation, because they are not prevented from moving away, but are there as a result of commitment and circumstance, because they are not in our system.

“None of the agencies will have any say on what happens to them.”

HSE inquiries into the safety of the site are ongoing.