Council chiefs have pledged to protect victims of sex trafficking through an advertising boycott.

Merton Council announced it would not place advertising in publications that also ran barely-disguised listings for brothels.

The council’s chief executive Ged Curran confirmed the authority would not advertise in publications such as the Wimbledon, Mitcham and Morden Post should it continue to run the listings.

Newsquest – publishers of the Wimbledon Guardian – took the lead in banning all adult advertisements in July 2008, having been persuaded of the clear link between the ads and women being trafficked for sex.

The campaign, spearheaded by Croydon Community Against Trafficking (CCAT), is based on strong evidence from anti-trafficking campaigners that 85 per cent of women working as off-street prostitutes in London are not UK nationals, and the vast majority of them are trafficked.

Leading members of Sutton Council, Sutton police, Lambeth Council, Lambeth police and NHS Lambeth have already vowed to withdraw advertising from such newspapers until they stop publishing sex adverts.

Mr Curran said: “Merton Council has a specific procedure in place for any external advertising which ensures all adverts are booked via one dedicated council officer and placed in the most suitable publication, for the best value for money.

“However with a strict protocol in place for advertisers in our own publications, the council does not condone advertising of a sexual nature and so will update our external advertising policy to match this.”