AN escort girl giving evidence at the trial of a woman accused of being a Southampton madam, claimed that she herself had a string of famous clients including a TV personality and two Premiership footballers.

The blonde, now retired from the sex industry, said she joined Sharon Moir's Panache Escort Agency after moving to the city from the north of England.

She also admitted having been paid thousands of pounds by one tabloid newspaper for her kiss-and-tell stories, but said she had decided to give evidence because she was concerned for the safety of younger escorts working in Southampton.

The revelations came as the case against Moir, 47, reached its second week at Southampton Crown Court.

Asked if she had known from the outset what the agency did, the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "They were selling sex for money. Moir asked me if I knew what was involved and I said yes' and she said they obviously don't spend £150 just to spend time with you'.

"Without actually saying they were paying for sex she tried to ascertain whether you knew what you were getting into."

She said that during her time with Panache she met about 100 clients, ranging from a farmer to a Southampton restaurateur who brought food from his business with him.

Asked why she left Panache, she said it was because she did not feel Moir looked after her girls and was often too drunk, in her opinion, to deal with the business.

She said Moir also often pressurised the girls to keep on seeing punters, adding: "I never liked seeing more than two people a day. I found it mentally hard to cope with."

Under cross-examination by defence barrister Francis Sheridan, the woman admitted selling a story about a TV personality and two Premiership footballers to a national newspaper for more than £10,000.

Mr Sheridan said: "You took money from people because that is your sole motivation and I'm going to suggest to you that as far as Sharon Moir is concerned you left owing her money and this is your way of getting your own back so you don't have to pay her."

The woman rejected Mr Sheridan's claims, replying: "No, sorry, it's not."

Asked by prosecutor Stephen Parish what had prompted her to give a statement to police, she said: "To stop Sharon doing what she did to me to other girls."

Moir, of Sholing Road, denies four charges of running a brothel, three charges of controlling prostitution for personal gain and one charge of inciting prostitution for personal gain. Judge Christopher Leigh QC ordered the jury to return a not guilty verdict on one charge of running a brothel in Alcantara Crescent, Ocean Village, as the evidence was insufficient.

Proceeding

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