Sex workers are going “underground” and operating from brothels instead of touting their services in Ilford Lane.
Police are encouraging residents to use a new real-time phone line to report sightings of prostitutes, bordellos and flyers advertising erotic massages.
"There have been very few prostitutes on Ilford Lane for the past few weeks," a Met Police spokesman said.
"There are no overt prostitutes hanging around plying for trade.
"The council's enforcement officers have reported seeing prostitutes who apparently scatter into the surrounding streets prior to them being able to stop them."
The spokesman also said there is evidence of sex workers living near to Ilford Lane.
"These ladies can sometimes be seen walking through seemingly on their way to work which we believe are in brothels and/or the Stratford area.
"Plain clothed officers start at 7pm targeting sex workers, any person who looks as though they are 'cruising' for a sex worker and others who may be involved in drug dealing and/or ASB (although these are now very few and far between due to the lack of prostitutes on Ilford lane at the moment)."
Resident campaign group, Clean up Ilford Lane, said so far the phone line had been really successful, but more people need to use it.
"Though a resident calling the line a drug dealer was arrested and police found a knife on him," a Clean Up Ilford Lane spokeswoman said.
"The whole point of the line is to be the ears and eyes for the police and provide information.
"It is so much better than calling 101 or the council enforcement line as there is normally a long wait and by the time you get through the issue had moved on.
"The prostitute line is in real-time and the police act on it."
Clean up Ilford Lane is also urging residents to use the line if they see lots of different people coming out of the same house at "odd hours". "In the last two weeks there has been an increase of people dropping call cards," she added. "The former prostitutes who would walk up and down are trying to keep their business going via brothels. "We need to shut this off, we don't want our children walking down the street seeing these images."
Call the intel line on: 07938902329 or email eamailbox-.proactiveunit@met.police.uk
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