“The Sex Club”

A new ‘job club’ is set to be launched for Scots workers — who want to quit the sex industry.

Council chiefs in Edinburgh are anticipating a flood of women to leave from the trade if the city’s sauna licences are scrapped.

Council leader Andrew Burns said: “Times have moved on and there has been a sea change in the [sex] industry. He also said that the city needed to make sure support services were fully equipped to deal with any potential mass departure of sex workers from the industry.

Cllr Burns predicted that Edinburgh’s tolerant approach to saunas would not change overnight if the council did scrap licences, which has been suggested by government officials.

But campaigners claim such a move would lead to an immediate crackdown on venues by Police Scotland, which they said was only being held back by the existing system.

Raids on 13 outlets in June led to a dozen people being arrested in connection with brothel-keeping and living off immoral earnings.

A meeting was held last month to discuss Edinburgh’s saunas, with Cllr Burns quizzing two of Police Scotland’s most senior figures, Chief Constable Sir Stephen House and Edinburgh’s divisional commander Mark Williams.