‘Red light district’ sign angers locals

A “red light district” sign was erected on a street in Limerick yesterday, much to the anger of locals.

The poster was stuck on to a Limerick City Council parking signpost on Catherine St. The sign advertised prostitution from 6pm-4am, Monday to Friday.

A furious businesswoman is said to have torn it down.

Catherine St has been plagued by prostitutes for the past two years. A gang with links to Eastern Europe is said to be behind the prostitution racket.

Former Irish rugby and Munster star Jerry Flannery runs a pub on Catherine St.

Speaking from behind the bar, his father Jerry Sr said the prostitutes have been harassing the public for over a year.

“They’re very, very pushy, as regards what they want to do. They’ll come up to people in the middle of the street, at one o’clock in the day or one o clock in the morning, asking them if they want to do business.

“Hopefully the gardaí will be able to deal with it. Last year, they brought a few of the women to court, but the women have been chopped and changed since.”

Mr Flannery, 65, said the biggest problem is that, as soon as a group of prostitutes are moved on by the gardaí, another begins operating on the street. Cecil St and Thomas St are also being used by the prostitutes.

“The gardaí are doing an excellent job at the moment. However, the people behind this are bringing in a different crowd every time the other girls are moved on, and where they’re coming from, I don’t know.”

Mr Flannery said his son’s business, where he works, had not been affected by the prostitutes hanging around outside on the footpaths, but that a number of other businesses had been.

“I’d like to leave it in the hands of the gardaí, while they are working on it. It’s been very, very prominent for over a year now. We’ve tried everything but they keep coming back.”

Limerick City Council in a statement said: “Limerick City Council has investigated the matter and can confirm that the council’s Environment Department had no knowledge of or involvement in the erection or removal of the sign in question.”