A Scottish man allegedly kept as a slave for 26 years contacted police after being arrested because he had "had enough", a court has heard.

A Welsh family last week went on trial accused of keeping Michael Hughes, originally from Aberdeen, as a slave for 26 years.

Four members of the Connors family, from south Wales, who are members of the travelling community, are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court accused of forced labour charges.

Patrick Joseph Connors, 59, his two sons Patrick Dean Connors and William Connors, who all live in Rumney, Cardiff, as well as son-in-law Lee Christopher Carbis, all deny the charges.

The prosecution's case is that Mr Hughes was made to work gruelling 16-hour days for Connors Snr's Tarmac business for £5 and was regularly beaten if the work was not carried out to a good standard.

The 46-year-old Scot has also told a jury he was made to sleep in a tiny rotten shed as well as having to wash himself with a bucket of cold water.

He has told the trial at Cardiff Court that he called police because he "had enough" of his treatment and not because he wanted to save his own skin amidst a trading standards probe.

A jury heard that Mr Hughes, who worked for the Connors' tarmacking business, said he was "made" to rip elderly people off and charge extortionate prices.

On day four of the case, the 46-year-old confirmed he was arrested in 2013 as part of an investigation into cowboy builders.

Representing Patrick Dean Connors, Kevin Seal asked the witness whether it was "just a coincidence" the trading standards case against him ceased after he went to police and said Connors senior had made him sleep in a rotten shed.

Mr Seal said: "You saw an opportunity to save your own skin didn't you?" Mr Hughes replied: "No......there was no incentive (from the police) at all."

And the witness also told the court: "The trading standards investigation...that's when I had the courage to stand up...it took all these years before I done it."

Mr Hughes came to south Wales from Aberdeen in 1988 seeking a better life. Previously, he told a jury that he believed he "was bought" by the Connors from another man he had first started working for.

The Crown says Mr Hughes was hunted down after escaping back to the north east of Scotland before being bundled into the boot of a car outside a benefits office in Aberdeen and then driven back to south Wales.

During cross examination on Monday, the witness also said he had been arrested by Scottish detectives for unpaid fines before being jailed.

When asked why he had not said anything to police about the Connors family, Mr Hughes told the court: "I was afraid." However, he agreed with Mr Seal that he was "safe" while in custody and also said that he and Patrick Dean Connors had been friends.

The Crown also alleges that a second man in the case, known as Mr K, was also kidnapped and attacked.

All four defendants deny one count of requiring another person to perform forced or compulsory labour between 2010 and 2013.

Connors senior, has also pleaded not guilty to eight counts of causing actual bodily harm, four of kidnap and one of conspiracy to kidnap.

The dates for those alleged offences range between 1990 and 2012. Elder son Patrick Dean Connors, denies kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap.

William Connors has pleaded not guilty to causing actual bodily harm on a man between 2009 and 2013. Carbis, of Trowbridge, also denies one count of kidnap between 2001 and 2002. The case is expected to last six weeks.