A WOMAN who kept a brothel in a converted Darwen warehouse has been ordered to carry out 70 hours' unpaid work for the community.

A court had heard details of how the premises in Pitville Street had been advertised as "Shady Ladies".

Michelle Dean found herself prosecuted after police executed a warrant there in May last year.

Dean, 30, of Cairnsmore Avenue, Preston was placed on a 12-month community order, with a requirement for 70 hours' community work.

She appeared for sentencing at Preston Crown Court, having earlier pleaded guilty to an offence of keeping a brothel. The court had previously heard how police went to the premises following concerns expressed by a number of people in the locality.

Police executed a search warrant at the Darwen building on May 18 last year.

The premises comprised a reception area and one bedroom. The bedroom had a large TV playing a pornographic video. There was a bin containing used condoms.

There was a female on the premises not the defendant wearing a short PVC dress.

A number of documents were recovered by police. These indicated that "services" were being offered by up to seven ladies operating out of the premises and offering a variety of sexual services, said the prosecution.

The defendant contended there had only been one female operating out of the premises and she used various persona.

Before the sentencing hearing, Dean had applied to change her plea. But after hearing evidence, the judge was satisfied there was an inference that seven different females had used the premises concerned.

Dean was a woman of previous good character. Judge Robert Brown said she had lost a lot of money in the investment she made with her partner.

"Quite a few" thousand pounds had been put into the conversion of the warehouse, to make it into premises suitable for the provision of sexual services.

The defendant was not working and had quite considerable debt.