A GANG of Polish thugs have been jailed for running an extortion racket against migrant workers in Hereford.

Six men - run by a ringleader nicknamed “Little Frog” - received sentences totalling 27 years at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday.

Krzysztof Wojcik, Kamil Siegien, Michal Zubrzycki, Jaroslaw Wysiecki, Zdzislaw Drezek and Jaroslaw Dziegielewski were convicted of conspiracy to commit blackmail.

Judge John Cavell said the gang created an atmosphere of fear at Sun Valley, where they targeted vulnerable workers over a nine month period in 2007.

The gang imposed a "job tax" on Polish workers, who were often beaten and threatened with violence.

Wojcik, aged 28, of Marlowe Drive, Whitecross, was described as the ringleader and jailed for six years.

His lieutenant, Zubrzycki, aged 20 of Ledbury Road, Tupsley, was also convicted of assault and received the same sentence.

Drezek, of Grandstand Road, was extradited by the Polish police afer fleeing the UK. He was also found guilty of assault in April, and jailed for five years.

Siegien, aged 30, of Coningsby Street, and Wysiecki, of Grenfell Road, St James, were jailed for four years, six months, and three-and-a-half years, respectively. Dziegielewski, aged 35, of Whitecross Road, received a 27 month sentence.

More details in next week’s Hereford Times.