A Thai woman has been spared jail after she was caught running a brothel using prostitutes brought to the UK via a multi-million pound vice racket.

Tongnon Watson, 41, ran the operation from her flat in Sandown Court, Crawley.

She used two prostitutes supplied by a much larger racket that made millions by importing girls, "training" them and farming them out to other brothels. She was caught by undercover police who posed as customers and were offered sex with the girls.

Watson was given 180 hours' community punishment and ordered to pay £500 costs at Southwark Crown Court.

Stephen Carlyn, 46, of the same address, had been given 120 hours' community punishment for living off immoral earnings and Judge Paul Dodgson said Watson's sentence should be "consistent" with his.

Watson admitted controlling prostitution. She faces a confiscation hearing on February 27 at which the prosecution will say she benefited by £50,000 from May to September 2002.

Previously, the court heard that two sisters - Bufpha Savada, 45, of Aintree Avenue, East Ham, London, and Monporn Hughes, 41, of Sevenoaks Road, Borough Green, Kent - used imported girls who were placed in a "finishing school" brothel. They then took money when the girls worked elsewhere.

Savada was jailed for five years and Hughes for three-and- a-half years in June last year.

Watson was not involved in importing girls but was arrested in September 2002 after four "test visits" to her premises beginning on May 14 that year.

Karen Robinson, prosecuting, said an undercover officer was "motioned inside" by Watson, who was "wearing a black neglige with black underwear showing underneath".

The officer was taken to a bedroom, a girl arrived and the officer was offered half an hour of sex for £60 or an hour for £120.

Ms Robinson said: "He said he wanted both girls to perform together. Watson said, 'I don't do two-girl shows,' before he left." Two further visits, on May 21 and September 9, concluded with officers "making their excuses and leaving" while one was offered "a younger girl if you'd like" instead of Watson.

During the final visit on September 16, a police sergeant was introduced to "Cindy" and quoted £120 for a bath with her. He made his excuses and left.

Judge Dodgson told Watson: "You richly deserve to go to prison for this offence but, in the need to be consistent, you will receive a community punishment order."

Simon Ward, for Watson, said she had been described as "not a sophisticated brothel keeper". She had provided the premises, facilities and customers and was "a most benign controller".