Six British children under the age of five have been found living in an abandoned wine cellar in Austria, in an illegal hideout with a 54-year-old Austrian and his wife, 40.
The youngsters were discovered in the illegal hideout in the small village of Orbritz after police broke in following an incident in which the man allegedly attacked social services with pepper spray and attempted to flee, The Telegraph reported.
Deputy local mayor Erich Greil said after the discovery that the man once told him he had ten children, and that he wanted ‘a cellar for each child’.
It is believed the family, comprised of the six children aged seven months to five years old, had been living in the cellar for several months.
The youngsters were found in the illegal hideout in the small village of Orbritz (pictured) with a 54-year-old Austrian man and his wife
There had been complaints from concerned local residents who heard children’s voices within the last few weeks, causing social services to get involved.
The cellars had been renovated to have doors, windows, water, electricity and surveillance cameras but are said to have ‘inadequate sanitation’ and were deemed ‘not suitable for children.’
The 54-year-old was described as ‘clever’ by locals, but they also suggested he was linked to conspiracy theorist groups.
The children were reportedly not locked up or neglected, police sources told the Telegraph. There is no suggestion of sexual abuse.
They have since been taken into care due to concerns over a lack of proof as to the children’s identity.
In Austria all births have to be registered by law with local authorities, but no records have been found for any of the children.
The parents reportedly claim all five of the children were born in the UK, where their father is said to have been working.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
