A FAMILY have been found not guilty of keeping a man with learning disabilities as a slave.

Jurors at Oxford Crown Court have unanimously found Christopher Joyce and his three children Mary Joyce, Timothy Joyce Senior and Helen Collins not guilty of conspiring to hold Nick Iliff in servitude.

But they unanimously found Christopher Joyce and his daughters guilty of conspiring to defraud Mr Iliff of benefits of more than £100,000.

Jurors also unanimously found Timothy Joyce Senior not guilty of assault by beating.

After 12 hours' deliberation the jury could not reach a verdict on whether Joyce and his three children, all of Redbridge Hollow Caravan Park, in Old Abingdon Road, had  conspired to require Mr Iliff to perform forced or compulsory labour.

The jury was discharged, and Rachel Drake, prosecuting, said the Crown Prosecution Service would decide by Friday whether to seek a retrial.

A statement published after the trial from Det Chief Insp Mark Glover, of Thames Valley Police's major crime unit, said: “Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the bravery of the victims in this case who came forward to police.

“Investigating allegations of forced labour offences is a complex process, particularly when some of the offences are historic.

“Our priority continues to be to safeguard the people who report offences to Thames Valley Police."