The comments, made by Upper Bann’s David Simpson, come after a joint report by the Human Rights Commission and Equality Commission revealed a radical change in PSNI policy on the issue.

The commission’s report, The Nature and Extent of Human Trafficking in Northern Ireland, suggested that Northern Ireland brothels were no longer trying to conceal themselves from police, but acting in cooperation with them.

Varied informed sources said that, in the past, brothels “tended to be constantly on the move and this limited the possibilities of investigating cases of trafficking”.

However, the sources interviewed for the report “tended to indicate that this situation has now changed due to the change of policy in relation to police actions against brothels”.

It continued: “The current [PSNI] policy is to check brothels for criminal activities and trafficking but brothels are not closed down following police checks.