Vice purge might see brothels on move

A POLICE crackdown on sleaze haunts in Mongkok and Shamshuipo could lead to an influx of prostitutes into Kwai Chung, Democratic Party district council members believe.

Council members Wong Bing-kuen and Ng Kim-sing say vice syndicates will move prostitutes to Kwai Chung because the area has many old properties with cheap rent.

A study of vice advertising in Chinese newspapers, sponsored by the Democratic Party, showed sex services were most prevalent in Mongkok, followed by Shamshuipo and Yuen Long. Kwai Chung featured in only two out of 350 vice advertisements.

'We found fewer prostitutes soliciting on the streets after the police crackdown. But we don't think the vice industry has gone away,' he said.

'The old vice districts in Mongkok, Yau Ma Tei and Tsim Sha Tsui, which accounted for 50 per cent of vice advertisements, provided us with evidence that the areas are still hot spots and the police crackdown has not been effective.'

Mr Ng said: 'What worries us is that the vice activities may move into our district. We need to pay attention to the trend.'