Switzerland: Sex Drive-ins for Prostitutes Open for Business in Zurich

Tourists - not punters, check out a 'sex box' in Zurich, Switzerland, where prostitutes can entertain clients Reuters

A drive-in brothel for prostitutes and their clients has opened for business in Zurich, Switzerland.

Lawmakers in the country's capital city hope the rank of nine so-called 'sex boxes' made from wood will be the answer to cleaning up prostitution.

The sex boxes - which are wooden sheds - come equipped with washing facilities, safe-sex posters and panic buttons should things go wrong. Security patrols are also conducted throughout the night.

The £1.5m scheme costs prostitutes five Swiss francs a night for sex workers, with clients using them for free.

Between 35 and 40 prostitutes are expected to use the facilities each night.

Zurich social worker Michael Herzig explained the sex boxes were an attempt to clean up the city centre.

He said: "Prostitution has escalated in the city. It was done out in the open on the street and men harassed passers-by.

"It was noisy and dirty because men took the prostitutes to a side-street and left used condoms on the streets. The drive-ins are more discreet and safer."