PEOPLE living in a Worcester cul-de-sac are being disturbed in the middle of the night by men seeking sexual services, it has been revealed.

Complaints from residents in Northleach Close, Blackpole, have prompted a joint police and city council probe.

A studio apartment there appears in a Why Magazine advert, where an "all-inclusive massage" is featured.

There has been no massage licence issued by the city council.

Residents in the privately-let studio apartments say they are regularly disturbed in the middle of the night.

One woman, who was too scared to be identified, said that punters regularly woke her up by mistakenly calling at her flat seeking sexual services.

Martin Gillies, the city's principal environmental health officer, said there were two, possibly three, premises being investigated, but more instances had come to light.

None of the premises in Northleach Close had massage licences, which are issued under the Worcester City Council Act 1985.

"One or two of our councillors have made enquiries as to what, if anything, we can do as a licensing authority," he said. "Following our enquiries, we've had discussions with police and other premises have come to light. We're investigating the nature of the business.

"If they're operating a massage parlour without a licence, they can be prosecuted. But, if they're not operating as a massage parlour, there's little the council can do as a licensing authority.

"Clearly, brothels and prostitution activities are quite often fronted by a massage parlour.

"It's an old chestnut and unfortunate, because it brings down the tone of legitimate and well-run venues in the city that have licences."

Worcester police have joined forces with the city council to tackle the problem.

"We were contacted at the end of June by a concerned member of the public," said Blackpole beat manager PC John McMannus. "Since then, we've been working closely with Worcester City Council to resolve the issue."