W hen Frank rang a brothel in Enfield, he could hear a baby crying in the background. When Alan called one in Southwark, he could make out the sound of a child asking for his tea. And when Mick called another to inquire about their services, he was told that he could have a "dirty Oriental bitch who will do stag nights, anal, and the rest.
The project, which gathered information from brothels in the capital, was commissioned by the Poppy Project, the only British organisation that offers support for women trafficked into prostitution. My co-author Helen Atkins and I recruited male friends and colleagues to help with the research, and warned them that the work might be upsetting.
They were to telephone brothels, posing as potential punters, with a list of questions including "What nationalities are on offer tonight? Almost two-thirds are located in flats and more than one-fifth are in a house. Wherever you are in the city, the likelihood is that buying and selling women is going on under your nose.
Our researchers contacted only brothels that advertised in local newspapers - not those that advertise on websites or on cards in telephone boxes. Because of this we only uncovered the tiniest corner of the trade. But we still encountered brothels in every London borough, with Enfield a typical residential area of north London having a minimum of 54, and Westminster at least Although it is a criminal offence to advertise prostitution services, the law is not enforced, and this "blind eye" approach serves the pimps and punters well.
Researchers also interviewed women who have worked in London brothels, and all reported having felt degraded and violated while selling sex. UK research published in found that prostitutes routinely face sexual and physical violence from pimps and punters, but have little or no "workplace" protection. One of the women we spoke to was Naomi, who, like many prostitutes, has a history of childhood sexual abuse.
