Homeowners in Oxford were taken aback when police found a covert “brothel” in their peaceful neighborhood.
Thames Valley Police raided a property in Cowley at the weekend and arrested a man, 43, and woman, 25.
They are suspected of using the semi-detached house in Brasenose Driftway as a brothel for prostitution.
Their arrests have surprised neighbours who described the street as “quiet with very little crime”.
Many of them declined to speak to the Oxford Mail and those who did refused to give their names.
A 17-year-old neighbour said: “It is a real surprise this kind of thing can happen here.
“This is a very quiet street with very little crime. There are a lot of families here.
“There is a pub down the road and that can lead to some rowdy behaviour.
“I wonder if it is fuelled by alcohol.
“We all keep to ourselves around here. I didn’t know the people who were arrested.
“Police have put a leaflet through my door asking us to contact them if we see anything, but I haven’t seen anything.”
A woman claimed police officers had knocked on her door and asked her questions after the arrests.
“It’s so shocking that something like this could be happening without us even knowing about it,” she said.
However, a 66-year-old guy claimed he was not shocked by the arrests.
He remarked, “It’s nothing new; things like that have been happening in streets like this for years.”
Drug dens and manufacturers used to be right around the block.
However, it appears that things have gotten worse recently.
“A variety of individuals have made the place their home. There are not as many families.
Following complaints from the police about disruptive behavior and criminal activity at the home, the arrests took place on Sunday, February 11.
Officers with the Cowley neighbourhood policing team arrested the man and woman while “safeguarding” other individuals at the address.
The suspects, who are both from Oxford, have been released on bail pending further investigation.
The force also obtained a closure order for the property from the courts.
Closure powers allows police to quickly close premises which are being used to commit illegal activities or disorder.
A police spokesperson said: “This will help to prevent criminality and further disruption to nearby residents.
“This closure order prevents people from entering the address and stops antisocial behaviour from taking place.
“People breaching this order will be arrested and taken to court.”
If you have concerns about an address in your area, you can report this on 101 or on the Thames Valley Police website.
