A woman who ran a brothel inside a hotel in Wembley filled with Eastern European prostitutes, including an underage 17-year-old girl, has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Hermien Van Boekel, 57, managed the bordello in Wembley Inn Hotel in Ealing Road, which purported be a legitimate enterprise at this time.
Police were made aware of its true business following a string of complaints from residents about the premises being used for drug dealing and prostitution.
They also raised concerns over intimidating behaviour displayed by the constant flow of visitors to the building.
Officers raided the property in December 2013 where they discovered the prostitutes including the girl.
Computers and mobile phone used to advertise the women via a website and records showed that Van Boekel had stored photos of the girls.
At the time of the raid, the hotel, which boasts 21 ensuite bedrooms with all amenities, had received four out of five stars by a reviewer on online travel site Tripadvisor.
Last week, Van Boekel admitted running a brothel and was handed an 18 month jail sentence suspended for two years.
She must also carrying out 250 hours of community service, placed on probation for 12 months and pay £1,450 in court costs.
Detective Constable Paul Connelly, investigating officer, said: “This premise was responsible for a significant portion of anti-social behaviour in the Wembley Central area causing upset to the local community. I’m pleased with the result and this is an excellent example of the community working with the police to deal with local problems.”
Following the raid, police were granted a temporary closure notice which forced the hotel to close however it has since been reopened.
The premises has been stripped of its licence to sell alcohol and its is being closely monitored by Brent Council and the police.
Related links: Closed Wembley brothel and crack house hotel must stay shut for three more monthsWembley hotel used as a brothel and crack house is closed by police
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