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The foreign nationals are understood to be staying in the accommodation in an arrangement with national agency Meridian Drivers. A complaint was followed up by police, after it was passed on

by Bristol City Council, over Brentry Elderly People's Home in Knole Lane. As many as 40 bus drivers and cleaners, mainly from Romania, are understood have been housed "in an

industrial scale" in the former council-owned home. It is understood there are more bus drivers living there than there were residents when it was an elderly people's home. Council

housing chief Paul Smith said the council wanted the building back but there was a “big issue” with the situation there. He said: "We've reported the situation to the police.

"Some people were living in conditions that there was a complaint about, and the complaint amounted to an allegation of modern slavery, which is a matter for the police, not the

council. "We're not the people to investigate that. We're told they are massively over-occupying the building. "We're not at all happy about that many people there.

We think there's about 40 people there. "This is not what the property guardians scheme is about, it's supposed to be about security for a building, not to create a housing

situation like this.'' Meridian Drivers operational manager Paul Watson strongly refuted claims the company was running a "slave ring". Mr Watson claimed 12 UK Meridian

Drivers workers, who all hold British passports, are currently living at Brentry Elderly People's Home. He said: "There are not 40 Romanian drivers living there. There are 12

Meridian drivers, the remaining tenants are working in other job roles elsewhere. "There is no slave ring, it's total rubbish. They all hold British passports and all drive buses

for clients around Bristol. "I don't have any eastern European drivers on my circuit at this time. We have used Romanians, Polish and Maltese in the past because the UK market is

dry." Mr Watson said of the 50 rooms at the temporary accommodation Meridian Drivers is responsible for 30. Brentry Elderly People's Home closed down four years ago. Camelot

Property Management are understood to be sub-letting the former care home to Meridian Drivers. The firm has been managing former council buildings across the city as part of a controversial

Property Guardianship scheme and was the subject of a recent court case in Bristol. A spokesman from Avon and Somerset Constabulary, said: "Complaints have been made to us but we have

investigated the claims raised and no criminal offences have been committed. "This is a civil matter and therefore a matter for the landlords of the property." Camelot Property

Management is understood to have been sub-letting the former care home to Meridian Drivers for the past two and a half years. During that time, Mr Watson claims the agency has invested

around £18,000 in improving conditions. He said: "We have had no complaints from tenants. There is no police investigation."