Brothel shut down in Luton

Op Sentinel launched at the start of this month and saw a team of police officers and PCSOs work to reduce on and off-street sex trade in Luton.

In the first week, 48 vehicles were stopped and advice given to the drivers, and 34 sex workers were spoken to, before being moved on.

More than 30 letters were also sent to people believed to be kerb crawling.

A brothel in Grampian Way, Luton, was also closed down and now has a closure notice in place.

Chief Inspector Sean Quinn, who leads Op Sentinel, said: “We’re really pleased with how the first week of this operation has gone and we’re determined that we will continue to see such positive results as we move forward.

“We’re working with our partner agencies to ensure that the women involved in sex trade are given the appropriate support and signposting they need in order to leave this way of life. We will continue clamping down on those who are attempting to pay for sex and those that exploit vulnerable people.

“As well as the illegal sex trade, we will be targeting problems such as street drinking, drug use, and general anti-social behaviour. Op Sentinel is all about tackling the issues that matter to the people we serve - if it matters to the community then it matters to us so I’d encourage people to get in touch with us if they have concerns that need addressing in their local area.”

You can contact the Op Sentinel team by calling 101 or emailing [email protected]