Prostitutes in pink lycra, men at all hours & strangers in our homes… how brothel turned quiet street into nightmare

RESIDENTS have told how their lives were turned upside down after a suspected brothel opened on their once quiet street. Neighbours told The Sun how men would “line up” outside at all hours, they spotted scantily clad suspected sex workers – and at times saw strangers walk into their properties having got the wrong address. Cops raided two suspected brothels in Oldham which were causing a nightmare for neighbours Credit: Steve Allen Two properties within five miles of each other were closed down Credit: Steve Allen Cops have since raided the alleged sex den – along with another nearby – and arrested four people for prostitution. Police shut down the sites in Oldham – stating their presence was causing “considerable distress” to locals. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! At one property, a “welcome” sign hangs outside the front door while a tall hedge obscures much of the front of the property. Residents living near to the three-bedroomed house in Oldham claimed men would arrive throughout the day and night. A closure order on the front door of one of the properties Credit: Steve Allen A ‘welcome’ sign outside the property which was closed down by cops Credit: Steve Allen “Men would be coming and going at all hours,” said Darren Hall, 51. “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?’” Most read in The Sun Darren claims the brothel was previously a cannabis farm. “One neighbour has decided to sell up and move out because she’s so fed up,” he said. “It’s not the kind of thing you want on your doorstep.” He added that he’d occasionally see people at the property he believed were sex workers. The house on Balfour Street which was shut down Credit: Steve Allen The other property on Miriam Street Credit: Steve Allen But he was able to glimpse inside one time and was surprised to see “bright, flashing LED lights” lining the staircase, apparently “directing” visitors upstairs. At the back of the property, there’s a conservatory containing a scruffy settee, table and chairs and a bottom bed while empty bottles of alcohol had been stuffed into plastic bags. A woman, who’s lived on the road for 55 years but didn’t want to be named, said random cars and taxis would regularly arrive late a night and men could be seen, “wandering up and down” the road. “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 that she had spotted women at the door of the address “dressed in leggings” and “pink lycra”. Another resident said she had spoken to the suspected sex workers, who appeared to be Eastern European, and they were “nice and friendly”. But she said she had concerns they were “vulnerable” and were being “exploited”. “I’ve seen lots of men walking up and down the road looking for the right house,” she said. “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.” At the second brothel, a terraced home around five miles away, curtains emblazoned with palm trees hang from the front window and rubbish is piled up in bins. Residents described seeing police raid the property and man, who’d tried to flee out the back, being arrested. One 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.” Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said both properties have been ordered to close for three months after they were identified as being used as brothels and it’s an offence to enter them. The force was granted closure orders by magistrates after suspicious activity was reported by residents, councillors and partner agencies. 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.” The four arrested people have since been bailed pending further investigation – and had their phones seized.