A woman who help run a brothel in a Kent town has been jailed for eight months.

Yuzhen Li, 56, accepted a job as a cleaner but ended up taking money, a court heard.

She was arrested by police who executed a search warrant at 304 Margate Road, Ramsgate, and was jailed for eight months at Canterbury Crown Court having admitted assisting in the management of a brothel.

The court heard an undercover policeman phoned a number in a free paper on October 20, last year, and was offered sex at a series of prices.

He went to the address at 11.30pm and Li answered the door. He went into a room where a young oriental woman agreed a price of £60 for half an hour and she stripped off.

When she offered him sex, he refused, said Jonathan Ingram, prosecuting.

While there the officer saw other young women and he was satisfied the place was a brothel.

At the police station, Li said she had won a prize draw for a free UK holiday. She arrived on March 18 on a six months visa but had overstayed.

She said she had lost her passport and a friend had taken her to the address.

Deborah Charles, for Li, said she had two adult children in China. She came to the UK looking for a cousin but then found herself destitute and when offered the job as a cleaner, decided to go along with it to earn her keep.

Her only financial gain was when she was given some money for a haircut.

She would answer the door and take the money but this was collected later by a man.

She said Li suffered health problems and was very desperate and despondant.

Jailing Li, Judge Adele Williams said those involved in the management of a brothel commit a serious offence.

She ordered 139 days Li has served on remand, count towards her sentence and recommended her deportation when released.