A father and his family ran a prostitution empire that made more than £2 million in one year alone, a court was told yesterday.

Steven Drew, 51, is said to have been the “top dog” at the Silk and Lace Escort Agency, which employed 200 girls along “military” lines over a number of years. He enforced a strict regime and insisted on carrying out individual “kit checks” to ensure the women were wearing matching underwear, Southwark Crown Court in London heard.

Patricia May, for the prosecution, said that the operation, run from a couple of industrial estate units in Hat-field, Hertfordshire, made “huge sums”, banking more than £2 million in 2005 alone.

“The company advertised itself extensively as a visiting massage and escort service but this was in fact a front for prostitution,” Mrs May said. She added: “The Crown say you will have little difficulty in concluding from the evidence of the advertising that this was a very, very substantial company in the so-called visiting escort and massage services business and one of the top league players in the field.”

In the dock with Mr Drew was his son Christopher, 26, and his son’s partner Carly Wright, 25, all from Hat-field. A second son, Paul, 24, and daughter Kerrilyn, 27, who also live in the town, are on trial as well as Lisa Stuart, 38, from Henlow, Bedfordshire, and Graham Sansom, 43, from Tring, Hertfordshire.

They variously deny one count of controlling prostitution between April 1 and November 25, 2005, and one of conspiring to launder cash.

Mrs May said that women worked for £120 an hour at least three nights a week from 6.30pm until 6.00am the next day. But they were only allowed to keep £50 from a single transaction.

Laminated cards detailing “payment options” were given to the women, who were also provided with a “kit list” that made it clear that they had to carry a fully-charged phone with them and always wear expensive matching underwear and stockings. The barrister said that while there was no suggestion that any of the prostitutes were coerced, they were nevertheless “exploited”, with the various rules “strictly enforced” and the “ultimate sanction of dismissal” awaiting the disobedient.

Mrs May said: “Steven Drew explained [to one driver] what the work involved and showed him time sheets. He told him that the driver had to retain the agency’s money and take it to the agency on a Sunday.

“The driver would pick up the girls, take them to the venues and collect them afterwards. He was aware that Steven Drew had girls visit him and once a girl remained for 22 hours.”

Mrs May said another driver, who had worked there for five years, told police that: “Steven Drew was very much in control. He described him as running the office in a military manner.”

About 200 women and 100 drivers were employed.

Several of the defendants were arrested during a series of raids on November 24, 2005. A variety of evidence was found in their homes, as well as Silk and Lace’s headquarters, including what was “clearly a disciplinary book”.

In it, one client complained about “not getting a good service” from two escorts. Alongside it was a further entry stating: “Both girls have been dealt with.”Later that day officers found videos in Mr Drew’s home “that showed him having sex with women”.

The trial, which is expected to last for a month, continues.

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