More brothels have been uncovered in Aberdeen than any other Scottish city.
Police recorded 17 cases of brothel keeping in the city in 2014/15 – more than Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee combined.
In addition, between 2004/05 and 2014/15 the number of brothels uncovered in the Granite City, 85 cases, was more than twice the tally found in the capital, 42 cases, and Dundee, 39 cases.
It was also more than Glasgow, which recorded 62 brothels uncovered over the 10 years.
The numbers have come to light in a new Scottish Government document which attempts to uncover the true scale of prostitution in cities across the country.
The publication reveals North-east police and support agencies saw a higher scale of prostitution in the region in line with “increased demand” due to “the oil industry in Aberdeen, and large events and conferences such as Offshore Europe.”
The report states: “The particular economic and social circumstances in Aberdeen, with the wealth generated from the oil industry and the high number of men who work within in it, are suggested to be a lure for involvement in prostitution.”
Supported by information gathered by the police-led Operation Begonia and interviews with groups such as Alcohol and Drugs Action, the report reveals the majority of prostitutes operating on Aberdeen’s streets were “local women, with the majority being white and Scottish”.
It also cites “a definite decline in on-street prostitution over the past eight years”.
Luan Grugeon, Alcohol and Drugs Action chief executive, said: “We have been delivering support to women involved in prostitution for over 20 years and have seen many changes over this time, including in recent years, less women visible on the streets and more women working from flats.”
Meanwhile, the city centre and the West End were both highlighted as locations housing the majority of Aberdeen’s brothels, with “instances of the off-street industry elsewhere in the suburbs”.
Police crime files also revealed the majority of those working off-street and in brothels were “foreign workers, with many identified as being Eastern European, often Romanian”.
It is thought the decline in on-street prostitution and growth in indoor prostitution, often organised by mobile phone and online technology, has made estimating numbers more difficult as it is now lessvisible.
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