Convicted burglar ran brothel while on day release from jail

Rashpal Singh told prison governors that he had a job at a tyre fitting firm, but was in fact spending his days recruiting eastern European women to work in the sex trade.

He ran the brothel at his house in Rotherham for six months and was only caught after a member of the public reported their suspicions to the police.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that staff at Moorland Open Prison, near Doncaster, failed to check out Singh's story that he was working on the minimum wage as a tyre fitter.

A judge said the public would be "surprised and concerned" checks were not carried out and was told that when Singh was arrested he had 2,000 cash and a large amount of cannabis.

Singh was supposed to be serving a six-year sentence for aggravated burglary, but was allowed his freedom between 5.30am and 9pm to work as part of a re-integration programme.

Prison officials believed he worked eight-and-a-half hours, six days a week, spending the rest of the time travelling to and from work in Rotherham on public transport.

But the court was told that instead he was spending his days recruiting vice girls and part of his nights running the brothel at his home in Alma Road, near the town centre.

Singh was jailed for a further two years to serve on top of his existing sentence after pleading guilty to keeping a brothel.

The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Alan Goldsack, told him: "As far as the prison was concerned you were working eight-and-a-half hour days for a tyre firm in Rotherham which was paying you the minimum wage.

"By contrast, according to the owner of the tyre company you were not paid at all by him and were not required to work regular hours. For most of the time he didn't know where you were.

"In fact you used your early freedom to set up and run a brothel from a terraced house in Rotherham. I suspect the public will be surprised you were allowed out on day release so early in a lengthy sentence.

"The fact that so few checks, if any, were made that you were actually attending the place where you were supposed to be working will add concern."

After the case, a Prison Service spokesman said: "We don't comment on individual prisoners. All risk assessments are carried out in

accordance with normal procedures, this includes random visits by staff to observe prisoners carrying out their work

"If criminal activity comes to light, it becomes a matter which would be dealt with by the police."

Det Sgt Rob Platts of South Yorkshire Police added: "South Yorkshire Police received information from a member of the public that a premises in Alma Road in Rotherham was being run as a brothel.

"Police inquiries led to the arrest of Rashpal Singh, who was returned immediately to a closed prison environment."

Singh was originally sentenced to six years in jail in May 2007 for aggravated burglary, but he was allowed to work on day release at the tyre firm one year and 11 months later in April 2009.