FAMILIES living close to a brothel operating in the centre of a Kent town say they are disgusted and want it closed.

Among the people living close to 96a Station Road at Herne Bay are parents appalled at the activity and concerned for their young children.

The KM Group's Herne Bay Gazette can confirm the sale of sexual services at the property, close to the high street.

Residents insist men have been visiting the property since September last year. One mother said: "I am disgusted by what is going on. There has been a steady stream of men at the property.

"Men wait at the bus stop right outside the entrance to the property late at night. I don't want my children growing up around this."

A makeshift porch has been put up around the entrance along with a fence panel in an attempt to block the view from neighbouring properties.

Another resident said: "I am absolutely shocked. I have two young girls and there are other young families close by.

Last month, two young men swearing loudly were seen being forcibly thrown out of 96a by another man.

An advert in a local newspaper, not part of the Kent Messenger Group, lists an Oriental Angel massage service and gives two phone numbers.

When our reporter rang one the phone was answered by a woman with an Oriental accent who said there were two girls working that day. She described one as a 19-year-old South Korean and the other as a 20-year-old Chinese woman.

She also gave the girls' vital statistics and went on to quote a range of prices for sexual services and gave the address.

When the Herne Bay Gazette called at the address the door was opened by a young Oriental woman, who went on to deny the property was a venue for sexual services.

She was the woman who opened the door of a brothel in Canterbury's New Street the newspaper's sister paper, the Kentish Gazette, exposed last year.

A resident said: "You hear about this going on but you don't expect it here."

Landlord Dennis Williams says he has no proof of illegal activity by his tenants, despite being told before Christmas that one girl was selling sex at the address.

He said: "A third party told me and I got legal advice at that time. My adviser said that one girl was not illegal and if I was happy with the tenants then I didn't need to act.

"As for two girls working at the property that is news to me. I have had no complaints from residents or authorities and I have seen no evidence of this activity."

Mr Williams would not say who the current female tenant was or give details on the length of the lease. He added that things might change when it was up for renewal.

Heron ward councillor Ron Flaherty said: "This is not the kind of activity the city council wishes to see in an area with many young children and elderly residents."

A police spokesman said: "We will always investigate concerns from residents over this kind of activity."