UK Police Expect to Close 1,200 Brothels Under Proposed Anti-prostitution Law

New laws designed to crackdown on prostitution in Britain may lead cops to close up to 1,200 brothels and prosecute 300 men a year.

The Home Office has arrived at these figures after assessing how much impact the proposed law may have.

About Prostitution
Prostitution has broadened its base to include street prostitution, massage brothels, gigolo outcall services, strip clubs, lap dancing, phone sex, child prostitution and sex tourism.

The Policing and Crime Reduction Bill, due to be debated by MPs next year, allows officers to close brothels and leave them sealed for up to three months.

Police are currently allowed to stage a raid and make arrests, but cannot close down the establishment.

Estimates by the Home Office suggest that about 780 to 1,200 closure orders may be served each year, reports the Independent.

Government's Plan To Outlaw Prostitution Sparks Criticism
The government announced plans Wednesday to outlaw prostitution involving women forced into the sex trade through illegal trafficking, but the move was sharply criticised by experts.

The Bill proposes to make it an offence to pay for sex with a prostitute controlled for gain.

It has been 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.

For 15 Pounds Only: Full Sex in UK Brothels
Large number of brothels in London offer full sex for as little as 15 pounds and employ women from more than 75 different nationalities, a new report has found.

According to the paper, a six-month police operation last year identified 800 UK brothels where such women were working as had been trafficked into the UK.

Officials estimate that 300 people a year may be prosecuted, once the Bill is approved.

Would the New Law Which Seeks to Criminalise Men Who Pay for Sex With Prostitutes, be Effective?
A police expert has cast doubts on the effectiveness of the British Government's new law that seeks to criminalise men who pay for sex with prostitutes.

Critics of the Bill, however, feel that it would drive prostitution further underground and leave women more vulnerable to abuse.

Source-ANI
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