Two men were caught with their trousers down as police raided a Brighton brothel.

The men, aged 19 and 20 and said to be "nervous and embarrassed", quickly dressed before being sent on their way.

The raid was part of a crackdown on brothels using cards in phone booths to advertise their services.

Officers seized 15,000 cards at the address and by the end of the day had collected 26,000.

The operation followed an increase in complaints from members of the public about phone kiosks being festooned with the advertising cards.

Four people were arrested - two women caught placing cards in kiosks and two others found working at the brothel.

Both were in possession of heroin and one was deported hours later as an illegal immigrant.

Police warned the brothel-keeper and she agreed to stop carding kiosks.

Officers collected 270 cards from 30 booths in the city on Saturday.

One was littered with 40 cards.

They staked out one kiosk and arrested two women who arrived to place more cards.

Police then raided the women's home and found another 10,000 cards.

Officers chose one of the advertised brothels and raided it, catching the two customers.

Sergeant Richard Siggs, in charge of the crackdown, said: "Both were very nervous but after a word or two in their ears we sent them on their way."

Mr Siggs said the 20 or so brothels in the city were not causing problems.

He said: "We cannot condone what they are doing but it is the carding that is upsetting people. Many cards are lewd and explicit and there have been a huge number of complaints recently from people, especially mothers with young children."

BT staff clearing cards from the kiosks have also been threatened.

Mr Siggs said: "Our message is that we will arrest anyone planting cards in kiosks and the guilty could face up to a £1,000 fine or two years in prison.

"Brothels which use kiosks to advertise can expect a knock on the door from us. Their madams or owners could face prosecution for living off the avails of prostitution.

"Some cards advertise how girls will visit hotel rooms but hoteliers also should be warned - if they know what is going on then they too could be in trouble for living off the proceeds of prostitution."

Mr Siggs said police were working with BT to clean up kiosks.

The company had noticed its income fell from kiosks littered with cards.

He added: "Any brothel advertising a BT phone line could have their service cut off by BT."