Landlords urged to help stop pop-up brothels in Lincolnshire
Police warn organised crime groups may be exploiting rental properties
Landlords and letting agents across Lincolnshire are being urged to carry out thorough checks on tenants amid concerns that organised crime groups may be using rental properties to establish pop-up brothels.
Police say their priority is to identify, protect and safeguard vulnerable people who may be victims of exploitation, trafficking or modern slavery.
The warning follows reports that some landlords and managing agents have rented properties to organised crime groups, either unknowingly or after failing to carry out sufficient checks.
Officers say these groups may use the accommodation to establish short-term brothels and exploit sex workers, some of whom may have been trafficked into the UK.
Landlords are being asked to carry out identity and address checks before renting out properties, as criminal groups may use false documentation to secure accommodation before exploiting vulnerable people through illegal activity.
Residents have also been asked to remain alert. A regular flow of visitors arriving at a property throughout the day or night and staying for only short periods does not automatically indicate criminal activity, but police say it may be worth reporting.
PC Dan Thompson, from the force's Intelligence team, said: "If anyone thinks they may have a suspected brothel being set up or run in their community we would like to know."
"Any piece of information no matter how small or insignificant is useful; every bit of information goes to build a bigger picture."
Under UK law, a brothel is generally defined as a property used by more than one person for the purposes of sex work, while sex workers operating independently from separate premises are treated differently.
A pop-up brothel refers to a temporary brothel established in rented accommodation, holiday lets, or other short-term rental properties.
While sex work itself is not illegal in many circumstances in the UK, several related activities are criminal offences. These include soliciting for sex in a public place, kerb-crawling, owning or managing a brothel, and exploiting or controlling someone else's sex work.
Paying for sex with someone who has been forced or coerced into sex work is also illegal, as is knowingly allowing premises to be used as a brothel.
Police say landlords should take reasonable steps to understand who is occupying their property and how it is being used.
While not all sex workers are victims of exploitation, investigations frequently identify vulnerable people who have been coerced, controlled, trafficked or otherwise exploited.