Residents of a quiet street in Oldham, Greater Manchester, say a brothel that opened on their road has brought chaos to their lives, with strangers prowling the area at all hours. Neighbours reported men “lining up” outside the property, while sex workers were seen wearing little clothing.
Police action and arrests
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have shut down two sites on the street, saying the organisations caused “considerable distress” to residents. Four people have been arrested on suspicion of prostitution. Both properties have been ordered to close for three months, and it is currently an offence to enter them.
Neighbourhood Inspector for Oldham South & West, Amie Whitehead, said: “We’re committed to addressing the issues that matter most to residents, and these closure orders show that we will act on information provided by our communities.
“These two premises had a significant impact on people living nearby, with men attending the addresses throughout the day and night and loitering outside neighbouring homes while waiting to enter.
“Residents told us this behaviour was causing considerable distress within the community and affecting their quality of life.
“We’ve responded to reports, worked with partners and gathered evidence to take enforcement action, and have now secured closure orders to prevent further criminality and protect the local community.”
Residents speak out
Oldham resident Darren Hall, 51, told The Sun: “Men would be coming and going at all hours.” He added: “I have to leave for work quite early, around 4am, and I’ve seen men coming out at that time.
“Some have mistaken my house for the brothel and one day I even had one man walk through my front door. I was a bit shocked and just looked at him and said, ‘What you doing here?’”
Hall claims the location was previously used as a cannabis farm. He said: “One neighbour has decided to sell up and move out because she’s so fed up. It’s not the kind of thing you want on your doorstep.”
He described seeing people he suspected of being sex workers at the property and recalled one occasion when he glimpsed inside, seeing “bright, flashing LED lights” lining the staircase, apparently “directing” visitors upstairs.
Fears for safety and exploitation
One local woman said: “I’d be watching TV and I’d see someone go past the window in the road outside. You could tell they were looking for somewhere.
“Sometimes, they’d be on the phone talking to someone and the next minute a woman would appear at an upstairs window [of the brothel] and she’d wave and gesticulate as if to say, ‘We’re over here.’ This could happen day or night but after dark it became really busy.”
She added she had seen women at the door “dressed in leggings” and “pink lycra”. Another resident claimed she had spoken to the suspected sex workers and found them “nice and friendly”, but worried they were in a “vulnerable” position and had been “exploited”.
The anonymous local added: “I’ve seen lots of men walking up and down the road looking for the right house.
“It made me worried to take the dog for a walk at night. And I kept on thinking that someone might turn up in my back garden.”
Another anonymous resident said: “As far as I know, only the woman lived there. She told me she did Chinese massages. But I had no idea other stuff was going on there – I was very surprised.”
