POLICE confirmed last night that charges had been brought against three men who were arrested during raids on suspected brothels in the North-East.

The three, who were detained after officers raided premises in Darlington in January, will appear before magistrates later this month.

Police and immigration officials raided properties in Victoria Road and Gurney Street after a lengthy surveillance operation.

The three men, together with six Thai women, were arrested as a result.

Last night, Durham Police said the men would appear before a court to face charges relating to the running of a brothel.

A 31-year-old man from Darlington is accused of two counts of management of a brothel.

He also faces five charges in relation to "the trafficking of women for the purposes of sexual offences". Those charges relate to five Thai women, aged 23 to 36, who were found at the Victoria Road property.

A 53-year-old man from Hartlepool and a 24-year-old man from Stockton each face a single charge of assisting in the management of a brothel.

The charge against the Hartlepool man is in connection with the Gurney Street premises, and the accusation against the Stockton man relates to Victoria Road.

The six women arrested in the raids were taken to a detention centre in Spennymoor, County Durham. Five have been deported. The other, who has a British passport, was released without charge.

A police spokesman said: "A middle-aged couple who were arrested on the day as part of the raids were also released with no further action being taken."

The men charged will appear at Darlington Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, July 19.