A brothel owner must pay back £333,000 after sexually exploiting women.

Mario Nicolae was arrested in September 2018 following complaints from neighbours that a house he was renting in Dartford was being visited by different men at various times of the day and night.

He initially denied receiving half of what his sex workers earned and claimed he sometimes helped the women provide massage services to clients, which he said explained why contracts found at his address referred to a 50/50 agreement.

Officers who searched the property in Downs Avenue also found paperwork proving he regularly sent thousands of pounds to a bank account in Gibraltar.

Nicolae, formerly of Windsor Road in Ealing, London, later pleaded guilty to managing a brothel, inciting prostitution and money laundering.

He received a 19-month suspended prison sentence when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court in August 2019.

A final confiscation hearing was held at the same court on Thursday to determine how much the 44-year-old benefited from his criminal actions and what assets he owned.

The judge agreed that Nicolae’s management of the brothel had earned him £391,104 and that he should pay back £333,020 in assets identified in his bank accounts and property.

Should he fail to pay within three months then he faces being sent to prison for four years.

Detective Inspector Helen Smithers of Kent Police’s Serious Economic Crime Unit said: "‘Mario Nicolae initially claimed everything he was doing was above board but we were able to prove he was inciting prostitution and benefiting financially as a result.

"Thanks to the Proceeds of Crime Act, we have been able to ensure he is no longer able to reap the rewards of his crimes.

"Brothels are a blight on local communities and those who operate them often take advantage of some of the most vulnerable members of society.

"Any information related to brothels will always be taken seriously so we encourage anyone with concerns to report them to us."

You can report suspicious behaviour to the police by visiting here or by calling 101. Alternatively you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or complete the online form.