Escort website partly funding bid to overturn NI's ban on paying for sex

Sex worker Laura Lee is leading the High Court challenge.

She was questioned about her financial support by members of the Home Affairs Committee at Westminster.

MP David Burrowes said: “But also I understand in terms of the crowd funding website you have, you have been given £1,000 by Escort Ireland, which markets thousands of women each year and designs websites for escorts.”

Escort Ireland is one of the country’s main agencies.

Ms Lee confirmed the payment.

“That is correct,” she said.

“That is because a lot of the sex workers that advertise on their website put pressure on them to support me and said it was only fair, since they make money from the industry, that they should support my efforts of keeping our industry safe.”