WHEN a teenage prostitute called Lucy was sent to a man in Oxford, the lid was lifted on the sordid world of sex trafficking in the city.

The punter alerted police in December 2010, sparking an investigation that led to the conviction of two Oxford pimps – but the girl at the centre of it was never found.

The man, from Oxford, called the Fun Girls in Oxford agency – run by Papas and Cochrane – expecting a glamorous escort. He was instead confronted by a terrified teenager.

He said: “I was worried about her. She was young and frightened, frightened of Papas. I didn’t want anything to do with her.”

Unable to ask for help, he said it was clear Lucy – who spoke only broken English – wanted to go home.

The man added: “She was drawing pictures of aeroplanes and asking for money. She spoke very broken English, she could hardly understand.

“It did take me two days to make up my mind about calling the police, but I didn’t want what had happened to Lucy to happen to anyone else.

“I thought I might lose my flat because of it – but it was the right thing to do.”

The man’s call to the police led to their wider investigation into the Fun Girls in Oxford agency.

Police said it was likely Lucy had now been moved on to another city by criminals who will profit by selling her for sex.

Her handbag was found in the course of the investigation and CCTV footage uncovered by detectives proves her existence, but her whereabouts are still a mystery.

Detectives said they want more men to come forward if they have had a similar experience.

The punter said: “I’d say to them: do exactly what I did. It was the way Lucy was so scared and so frightened – it wasn’t right.”

The man, who openly admits to using prostitutes, but now claims to have stopped, said: “I’ve heard from other girls there is an issue, and not just in Oxford either.

“I was warned by an English girl not to go near Romanian girls because they are trafficked.

“I’ve stopped doing it now – but there is a difference between girls who want to do it and girls who are made to.”

Det Insp Simon Morton, who led the investigation, said he was disappointed Lucy had never been found. “That leaves me with a real sense of sorrow. I urge anyone who has any information to come forward, I’ll investigate any fresh leads her whereabouts.”

Anyone with information about human trafficking should call Det Insp Morton on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.