Brothels in The Suburbs

BROTHELS IN THE SUBURBS

A GROWING social problem is the number of fully fledged brothels spring up in privately rented flats and houses in respectable suburbs.  Furious neighbours are discovering these vice dens on their doorsteps on estates throughout the country.

Police believe that the modern trend of establishing brothels in reputable neighbourhoods began following a clampdown on the traditional red light districts of the towns and cities.  Most large boroughs had their well known vice areas.  Prostitutes would be on the streets looking for trade while their customers were walking or kerb-crawling looking for them.  Various police forces used their vice squads to clean up these sections of the town during the 70s and 80s.  The girls were forced indoors off the streets.

Officers in a number of force areas throughout Britain began investigations following a series of similar complaints.  Local residents began reporting incidents of strange car, that could not be accounted for arriving in the area or being parked outside certain houses both day and night.  There was other information concerning strange men visiting these premises at unusual times.

Investigating officers discovered that the prostitutes had turned to a safer environment to carry on their business.  They had began to rent houses and flats to set up an operate as brothels from unsuspecting landlords and agencies.  This business strategy appeared to be common in the North East of England.

‘Residents in normally quiet streets and estates have been reporting irregular activities at certain times.  They don’t normally know what is going on there, it could be drugs dealing or other criminal activity,’ said Detective Inspector John McClen of Newcastle North CID.  ‘They fear that local people in particular may be vulnerable to attack or being accosted by people visiting the brothel or that the crime rate will rise with the influx of strangers from other parts of the city.

‘We want to ease these fears.  Any information supplied to police, not only in this command area, will be evaluated and if necessary action will be taken to stop these activities.’