Sex workers have moved off the streets and gone behind closed doors. A website claims there are more than brothels and sex workers in the Cambridge area - but the city's red light district appears to be fading away. Histon Road was notorious for streetwalkers in and police targeted the street to offer advice and support to sex workers - and to snare the men cruising the area. Police summoned numerous men to court for soliciting for sex during the crackdown, which was triggered by complaints from residents.
Police said "a core group of 10 females" had been identified and had been offered support to keep them off the streets. A resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "It used to be a big problem on Histon Road but there was a huge effort from the police and they did a great job. Now you just see the odd one or two in the street but nothing like before.
It seems the sex trade has moved on and much is played out behind closed doors with the use of the internet. Find Brothels is a free adult directory that helps you find a brothel within the red light district, all profiles are anonymous and registration is not necessary. Insp Nick Skipworth, who has been leading Operation Mantis, which was launched to safeguard sex workers and target gangs preying on vulnerable young women, was asked why the red light district in Cambridge was no longer a problem.
He said: "Society changes over time as does policing and the problems policing encounters. It is not essential to show that the premises are in fact used for the purposes of prostitution which involves payment for services rendered ; a brothel exists where women offer sexual intercourse without charging.
A house occupied by one woman and used by her alone for prostitution, is not a brothel. By Raymond Brown. A police officer speaks to a spex worker on Histon Road. Picture by David Johnson. Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.
