Neil Hamlet, 43, and his wife Wendy, 37, were sentenced yesterday at York Crown Court after admitting managing a brothel at 6 Rothbury Street between June 2006 and June 2007.

They also pleaded guilty to keeping a brothel for prostitution at 35 Tennyson Avenue, Bridlington, from December 2006 to February 2007.

Dr Tina Dempster, prosecuting, said that as a result of police inquiries three undercover operations were carried out at the premises in Scarborough, which were recorded.

Following the investigations 22 officers swooped on the house in Rothbury Street on June 21 last year and they found various paraphernalia associated with running a business in the sex industry plus diaries and a rota.

Dr Dempster said the girls were self employed and charging £60 for half an hour, of which the Hamlets were taking at least half.

"They effectively provided the premises. There were staff rules pinned up on the reception desk.

"It's fair to say it doesn't seem there was anything particularly fixed about the number of girls. They would come and go as they pleased."
The pair were not in the premises at the time of the search but arrived shortly after the police.

When interviewed they both admitted to running the business although Wendy Hamlet claimed she had taken on a much lesser role than her husband.

On June 7 last year Wendy Hamlet contacted the police to inquire as to whether it was lawful to conduct an escort business.

Dr Dempster said: "It was quite a difficult telephone conversation for the officer because he was aware there was an ongoing police investigation."

Both of them denied they had made any particular profit from the business but the court found them in receipt of a "reasonable amount of money".

Christopher Dunn, mitigating for Neil Hamlet, said he was "not an unintelligent man" and the case lacked a number of "aggravating features".

"There hadn't been any type of offending like this in the past and there hadn't been any since."

Anne Munday, in mitigation for Wendy Hamlet, said: "At the outset this couple set out with good intentions. They were both on benefit at the time and were hoping to be able to set up a business to get them off dependency of the state.

"Their choice of business was highly inappropriate. As far as Wendy is concerned she did go about that business in as open a manner as she was able to. She made the police aware of their activities.

"The local tax office was informed and their income was declared. She was under what is now obviously the false impression that the business was being tolerated in the local area."

She had been left with a "considerable amount of debt" from past relationships which she had been trying to pay off herself and the couple were now in debt to the tune of £20,000.

They were also ordered to forfeit £427.50 each under the Proceeds of Crime Act.