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A man who admitted running a brothel in a residential street was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work for the community.

Aleksander Sochacki, 36, of Nelson Road, Dovercourt was caught running the brothel in Firstore Drive, Lexden, Colchester, after neighbours Keith Smales and Claire Binnington contacted police when they observed men repeatedly coming and going from the property.

Lesli Sternberg, counsel for the prosecution, said one neighbour even approached a customer who had been to the house, and that he confirmed it was a brothel.

Miss Sternberg said that, when the house was raided on January 25 last year, police discovered pornographic magazines, condoms, kitchen roll and tissues.

When the father-of-four, who admitted managing a brothel, was questioned by police, he denied the offence and claimed he owned an agency which helped to temporarily set up people arriving in the UK.

At Basildon Crown Court yesterday, Deputy Circuit Judge Gareth Davies also sentenced Sochacki to two months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and told him: "I have taken into consideration your guilty plea and your character.

"I have to consider the seriousness of what you have done and the fact you caused a great deal of distress. This offence is so serious."

His partner, Magdalena Chamera, 22, was also arrested at the address and charged with managing a brothel.

At an earlier hearing the prosecution dropped the charge and that she was bound over to be of good behaviour for the next 12-months.

Sochacki will return to court on June 5, for a hearing to decide whether any assets he received during the offence are to be confiscated.