POLICE have vowed to stamp out premises selling sex in Swindon after raiding one of the houses they suspect is a brothel.
Police believe that house closed down in the Kingshill area on Tuesday is just one of many brothels operating in the area.
Officers served a warrant on the house in Kingshill Road and found three people thought to be involved in running the brothel and a customer inside.
Sgt Scott Hargreave said: "Our inquiries suggest there are other ones operating in the central Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) area and we have plans to act on those inquiries in the coming weeks.
"This is all part of the Kingshill NPT's task to make the community safe and stamp out offences like this.
"Both brothels and girls working on the streets pose a risk and are linked to associated offences of drugs and prostitution.
"That's why we are not going to tolerate it.
"It is not any better that it is in a brothel. This is still a residential area and it affects the quality of life for all the residents and children in the area."
Behind the ordinary looking wooden front door to the house, opposite the Esso petrol station, officers found plush red carpets leading to a lavish upstairs boudoir.
A second bedroom was being redecorated, which police believe was to make way for more punters.
"Members of the local community contacted the Kingshill Neighbourhood Policing Team with concerns about activity in and around this address," said Sgt Hargreave.
"As a result the NPT made some inquiries that led them to believe a brothel was operating from the premises, from around 10am each day until the early hours of the next day.
"As a result we visited the premises on Tuesday evening and it was being used for the purpose of being a brothel.
"One male and two females were arrested on suspicion of being concerned with managing and running a brothel.
"One male client was located in the brothel. He is assisting police with inquiries."
Shocked neighbour Sammy Parker said that she had no idea what was happening next door to her family home.
"I am pretty worried to think that's happening next door," said Sammy, who has a two-year-old daughter and is expecting her second child.
"My daughter plays in the garden all the time and to think she was so close to that is horrible.
"There were people going in and out quite a lot of the time. I heard screaming and giggling at about 3.30 the other night."
Kingshill community beat manager PC Megan Kenzie urged members of the public to contact their neighbourhood policing team if they have any suspicions of brothels operating in their area, by calling 0845 408 7000.
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