Police crackdown on prostitution expected to close 1,200 brothels

Police expect to close up to 1,200 brothels and prosecute 300 men a year under new laws designed to crack down on prostitution. The figures are contained in official Home Office impact assessments produced to accompany the Policing and Crime Reduction Bill, due to be debated by MPs in the new year.

The Bill allows officers to close brothels and leave them sealed for up to three months. Previously, a loophole meant officers could stage a raid and make arrests but were powerless to close down the establishment.

Estimates published yesterday suggested that between 780 and 1,200 closure orders would be served each year.

The Bill contains a new offence of paying for sex with a prostitute controlled for gain, which is designed to target men by threatening them with court action if they use prostitutes who have been trafficked, are controlled by pimps or are working for drug dealers.

A six-month police operation last year identified 800 UK brothels where women were working who had been trafficked into the UK. Despite the fanfare accompanying the legislation, officials estimate that only 300 people a year would be prosecuted.

Critics say the policy will drive prostitution further underground and leave women more vulnerable to abuse.