In the last 9 months, South Yorkshire police alone have received 48 intelligence reports regarding pop-up brothels in Sheffield, and on 5 of these occasions victims of modern slavery have been discovered.
Louise Durham, City Hearts Head of Services says, “It is a huge issue, and a one of the biggest crimes in our country hidden in plain sight. These men, women and sadly children are threatened and beaten, they’re petrified.”
“Quite often they (pop-up brothels) operate in apartments because people can let themselves in and a lot of people coming and going isn’t suspect.”
Signs of a pop-up brothel may include:
- Multiple women living at the address, or numbers of women being brought to and taken from the address by someone else
- Multiple vehicles visiting the property at any one time
- Many frequent visitors, usually male, who don’t stay for long periods of time
If you suspect a pop-up brothel is operating in your area, please contact your local police or the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700.
Follow this link more information on the BBC Pop-Up Brothel story.