Clueless cops took six months to discover prostitutes were running a sordid brothel – just 25m away from their police station, it emerged yesterday.
The dingy one-bed sex den above a barber’s shop went unnoticed until a ”tip-off” by a member of the public.
When police finally raided the flat – opposite Egham Police Station, in Surrey – they made two arrests and removed 35 bags filled with evidence.
However, local shopkeepers claim that prostitutes moved back into the flat just hours after the raid.
Egham councillor Alan Alderson has urged police to ”keep a regular check” on the brothel to stop it reopening in the future.
He said: ”I understand police have raided it and they’ve gone back in. It appears to be a very strange place to run a brothel because it is directly opposite the police station.
”Saying that, the police are out and about in their cars most of the time. But they are coming and going quite a lot.
”For now I’d like the police to keep a regular check on the premises.”
One business owner, who did not want to be named, said the prostitutes went back into the flat just hours after they were turfed out by police.
She said: ”They raided the flat but where were they the next day when they moved back in. It’s still going on.”
Another shopkeeper added: ”I have known about it for six months and I don’t like it.
”I have got women and children coming in here and it’s not very nice when you can hear all the sound effects coming from there.
”Next door used to see streams of blokes going round the back.”
A Surrey Police spokesperson admitted police were unaware of the brothel on their doorstep until members of the public came forward with information
The spokesman added: ”Police in Runnymede take the issue of brothels being run in the borough very seriously as they have a detrimental impact on the quality of life for the local community.
”However, officers rely on support and information from the local community about what is going on in their neighbourhoods.
”As soon as information from members of the public about the Egham High Street address came through to Surrey Police it was swiftly acted upon by officers who worked to verify the intelligence provided.”
A year later there do not seem to have been any court cases – too embarassing for the police?