Metropolitan Police
Plain-clothes officers were investigating prostitution when they recognised and arrested the woman, who subsequently failed to attend trial.

An arrest warrant has been issued for a woman who is believed to be a sex worker after she failed to appear for trial.

Highbury Corner Magistrates Court issued the warrant for Septa Lovitski, who was due to stand trial yesterday.

The court heard accounts of her arrest from Police Constables Eleanor Jones and Amir Odin of Enfield Police.

Arrested by plain-clothes officers

They encountered Miss Lovitski in Langhedge Lane, Haringey on November 5th 2018.

Disguised as ‘punters’ the three police officers drove past Miss Lovitski. She approached the car, at which point was instantly recognised by one of the officers.

PC Jones searched the defendant’s handbag and found  “10 to 15 condoms, a packet of baby wipes and a tube of lipstick” according to PC Odin.

Part of larger police operation

At the time police were conducting an operation aimed to combat a heavy presence of prostitution in Upper Edmonton.

This followed multiple reports to Enfield Police frequently concerned “young, provocatively-dressed, European women” standing on residential streets “before being driven to discrete parking areas or industrial estates”.

Matching accounts from both officers described how they were alerted to suspicious activity at Langhedge Lange.

‘Three-strike’ policy

The court heard that Enfield police often employ a ‘three strike’ policy for those who they suspect of loitering for the purposes of prostitution.

Both officers described how this approach gives loiterers the ‘benefit of the doubt’, as opposed to immediate arrest upon suspicion.

This was the third time PC Jones had stopped Miss Lovitski in such circumstances.

Magistraites fined Miss Lovitski £430 in her absence.

They also issued an arrest warrant for Miss Lovitski to ensure she pays the £430 fine.

London news