POLICE have closed down a suspected brothel after complaints of men expecting sex mistakenly knocking on neighbouring family homes.

The closure order has seen a house in Radstock Road, Newtown, boarded up after officers carried out the warrant on Monday morning.

A man believed to be soliciting sexual services was found at the address with two other women when officers arrived and the women have since been placed in the care of a support agency.

It comes in the same week as another property in Bedford Road, west Reading, was also closed down after being reportedly used as a brothel.

Inspector Keith Stacey, from Reading police station, said: "We have become more aware of off street prostitution in the form of brothels in the town and in this instance the enterprise was being carried out in an area populated by lots of families and near two schools.

"We have also been made aware that innocent families have had men at their door wrongly thinking that they were at the brothel."

The closure order was granted by Reading Magistrates' Court in a joint bid from Thames Valley Police and Reading Borough Council.

No one is permitted to enter the home for the next three months and anyone who breaches this could face imprisonment and/or a fine of up £5,000.

Insp Stacey added: "We have worked tirelessly to deal with these issues. Not only have we been addressing street prostitution but we have again worked to close a brothel.

"This is the third brothel closure that we have obtained in the last two months."

Anthony Brain, the council's head of community safety said "Reading Borough Council fully supports the action of the police in closing this property to protect vulnerable women.

"Tackling exploitation in all its forms is a priority for the council, police and all of our community safety partners."