Jostling for position among advertisements for plumbers and old bicycles, there is one page at the back of most local newspapers that stands out. Small (classified) ads offering "adult massages" have long featured in Britain's local papers, supposedly as a bit of harmless fun. They may not be so harmless after all. On October 28th Harriet Harman, the minister for women, linked these small ads with the practice of people-trafficking. Some of the girls behind the glossy ads may be working against their will, she said. Ms Harman and other ministers booked a meeting with the Newspaper Society, which represents local editors, for November 1st.
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