© Toby Melville/Reuters
Criminal syndicates have set up "pop-up brothels" across North West England and are trafficking young refugees to the region to exploit as illegal sex workers, it has emerged.
Human traffickers are using guest houses and hotels in Barrow and around the South Lakes as ramshackle brothels that offer access to prostitutes over the course of weekend stays, local police say. Reports have surfaced of temporary brothels in the market town of Kendal near the Lake District. Police have also shut down three call houses in hotels in Barrow.
The crime gangs reportedly block-book accommodation for weekends in picturesque parts of Cumbria and bring sex workers from Liverpool or Manchester. They then advertise online, and the prostitutes are visited by multiple men over several days.
Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Nick Coughlan of Cumbria Police says the majority of the women involved are victims of sex trafficking. "What we often find is there will be a booking made online through a reputable website," he told the
Guardian.
"They will then turn up and pay with cash rather than credit or debit cards, which are traceable. They won't arrive as a gang - often the men will come in on their own at first. "If it's a pop-up brothel, then two or three girls will be brought up, sometimes by men, sometimes by older women."
One lady in Barrow said she was surprised when she discovered prostitutes were making use of her guest house. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told the
North-West Evening Mail that she carefully examined CCTV footage at her property and uncovered images of local men paying regular visits to the prostitutes.
Comment: The driver's life was no longer in danger once the teen left the vehicle. Running him over was an act of retribution.