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A seedy website dedicated to rating sex workers offers a grim glimpse inside a secret world of brothels, sex parties and women for hire.

The website, PunterNet, pitches itself as 'the UK's oldest escort directory and review site' and has been running for 20 years.

Offering pages of 'reviews' covering every city in the country, as well as a 'directory' of local escorts, the site is a one-stop shop for men looking to pay for sex.

The eye-opening 'reviews' offer a bleak look inside Merseyside's sex work scene, from the brothels hidden in plain sight to the women hosting sex parties at city centre hotels.

A quick search for Liverpool brings up 46 results, stretching back to 2003, each with a reference number and a name for the escort being reviewed.

Men logging onto the site describe their encounters with sex workers in graphic detail, listing duration of their visit, amount paid and whether they would 'recommend' a woman to other punters.

Using screen names like 'Son of Zorro', 'John Wirral', 'Gentleman Caller' and 'The Groom', the men reel off details about the location of their hook-up, the sex worker involved and what unfolded.

The site reads like a NSFW version of TripAdvisor, with descriptions of everything from nearby parking to how clean the brothel bedsheets are.

While many of the reviews speak glowingly of the sex workers concerned - talking about them as 'well travelled', 'cultured' and 'kind' - other men's attitudes towards the women carry dark undertones.

Talking about women like they are reviewing a disappointing meal, some men's lack of understanding around consent are deeply concerning.

We took a look at the seedy and sometimes sinister messages left online about Merseyside's sex work scene to try and understand more about this hidden world.

'She was totally useless, absolutely crap at her job and to be recommended only to my very worst enemies'

One of the most unsettling reviews on the site concerns a sex worker based in a "seedy terraced property" in North Liverpool.

The reviewer describes it as an area he would "normally pass through very quickly" and said the property itself was in "desperate need of demolition".

Working, and potentially even living, in such an environment doesn't make it sound like the woman concerned is in a good situation.

But that's not what concerns the punter in this unpleasant review.

Paying £100 for an hour with this woman in an L6 property, the reviewer describes the dingy condition of the location, writing: "I wasn't too bothered as I've had a life fighting the odds from Vietnam to the Falklands but always on my guard just in case.

"Clearly the governor, probably her pimp, was parked downstairs with the telly on fairly loudly and although I could hear him talking, paid me no mind.

"Before business started I was just about as wary as one can get, which doesn't gel well when sex is on the menu.

"There was plenty of available parking outside and thankfully my car has seen better days so I wasn't too bothered about it and the unsavoury neighbourhood.

"Up the stairs and into the bedroom, which badly needed redecoration but at least the bed looked clean enough otherwise I would have made a sharp exit."

He then describes the woman, who he claims appeared with her face hidden and was a different person to the one he'd picked out online.

His attitude towards the woman is unpleasant, writing: "Face was hidden and little doubt it was a totally different woman that appeared on the scene.

"Purporting to be Spanish and unable to speak English may well have been the case but she may equally have been Romanian or Bulgarian - I know not.

"In effect she looked the wrong side of 30 despite the photos saying 25. She was okay and probably scored five out of 10 as opposed to the 10 out of 10 in her alleged photos."

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As he goes on to describe the encounter, the reviewer seems disgruntled at the woman refusing to take part in particular sex acts or kissing.

His review paints a picture of a man left totally aggrieved by the concept that a sex worker has the right to say no to sex acts she does not want to do.

His review says: "In short she was totally useless, absolutely crap at her job and to be recommended only to my very worst enemies.

"The whole thing was a rip-off disaster and she and her 'pimp' should be avoided at all costs."

'As I was leaving I explained she was a fraud and asked for a discount'

Another man who took to the site to complain about the perceived standard of sex work logged on to describe an encounter in "central Liverpool".

The venue, while unspecified, is described as having plenty of parking and being "very easy to get into discretion wise".

However, despite describing the woman involved as attractive and "clean", he goes on to launch into a troubling rant - again entirely prompted by a sex worker saying no to things she did not want to do.

Posting on the site, the reviewer says: "Terrible. I first phoned her and she said it was okay to come at 5pm and to text when I got there. I wanted to see if she was okay with the things I wanted to do so text her a list which included, letting me [carry out various sex acts].

"I made it clear I was asking because I wanted her to be comfortable. Waited five minutes and a text came back saying 'yes I like all these things.'

"Great, but when I got there she was very nervous, so was I, so that didn't help me at all, I decided to give her a massage thinking it might make us both feel more comfortable and ended up [performing a sex act on her].

"When it came to [another sex act] she now said it was with condom only. Not wanting to ruin things I said okay, thinking I could still [perform another sex act on her] as I wanted.

"She said no, again not wanted to ruin it I asked her to [perform another sex act] and that was a no too. At this point she started pretending she didn't understand anything and it was a complete turn off.

"Just to elaborate a little, I am a young man, considered good looking and in good shape so this wasn't a case of me being an old man and turning her off."

He reels off all the things she listed on her profile, before saying: "As I was leaving I explained she was a fraud and asked for a discount, that was a straight no and it was becoming apparent that she did understand English perfectly.

"She isn't worth visiting, she just wants to get you there take your money and do nothing for it."

Perhaps what's most worrying about this review is the idea that the sex worker is allowed no room to change her mind.

In a sexual encounter that doesn't involve the exchange of cash, basic rules of consent dictate that a woman is entirely entitled to say she wants something, then change her mind and decide she doesn't.

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But when this comes to sex work, this exchange shows a man left feeling entitled to do whatever he wants because he paid £60 for the pleasure.

Sex work is just that - work. A transaction takes place. Money is exchanged for services.

But unlike any other from of paid work it involves incredibly intimate acts and regardless of money exchanging hands, a woman should feel safe and comfortable to say no.

Selling sex for £60 and being asked for a discount at the end of it is a demeaning exchange - but sadly it's not an isolated incident based on these reviews.

'Lots of easy parking'

The review section includes a section where punters can describe the location, whether they're visiting a brothel or meeting up with an escort in a hotel.

Some of the same sites creep up over and over again in the reviews - and the locations are far from inspiring.

One is based on an industrial estate in north Liverpool, another is located up a fire escape above a business premises in Aintree.

The mundane descriptions of parking and access appear somewhat incongruous in the context of reviews detailing sordid sex acts.

How to tell if a 'pop-up brothel' has set up on your street Brothels are usually newly-acquired properties, often privately rented flats or houses in towns and cities

Budget hotels or holiday properties are also sometimes used

There could be limited activities usually associated with new people moving into a property, for example, no signs of removal vans, limited, or scarcely furnished homes.

It might look like no one actually lives there.

Multiple women living at the address, or numbers of women being brought to and taken from the address by someone else.

Multiple vehicles visiting the property at any one time.

Many frequent visitors, usually male, who don’t stay for long periods of time.

One review says: "The parlour is under new management. It is one of the very few parlours still operating in Scouseland.

"Access is up a fire-escape in rather open public view. Lots of easy parking. The new madam is obliging and welcoming. The rooms are large, but rather sparse and basic rather than cozy."

Another man, who met an escort in an apartment, says: "Plenty of safe on street parking nearby (pay and display), and the apartment block is discreet with an intercom system at the main entrance."

While most of the reviews talk about parlours, brothels or hotel visits on a one-on-one basis, one reviewer describes a sex party hosted in the city centre.

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Paying £80 to be involved, the reviewer writes: "Liverpool is pretty poor for parlours and mostly similar for escorts. I expect most people drive or goto Manchester or Bolton for their fun.

"I've never seen any parties being held in Liverpool, so was really surprised when I saw that [these two women] were planning one for November.

"Great location, city centre, near to the business side of town and one of the train stations. Quiet, parking nearby also.

"Buzzed on the intercom, safe and easy to get into - no awkward getting past hotel reception. very smart inside, main living room to relax in and have drinks and nibbles. One big bedroom and bathroom.

"Since it was the first time for both girls in Liverpool, it was a little quiet, not a huge turnout, next time hopefully more - so this was a great chance for those that turned up to enjoy ourselves."

'I will be going back to see her again. Treat her with respect'

While many of the reviews offer a worrying glimpse into the reality experienced by sex workers in the city, others paint a different picture.

Reviews posted of many Liverpool escorts describe women who are entirely in control and who are treated with respect by their clients.

One of the most recent reviews on the site comes from a man who spends long periods away and recently arrived back in the UK.

Describing the escort involved, he says: "[She] is lovely - truly cute, confident, bubbly."

He adds: "In the room she quickly changed into the most stunning, very classy dress, and it was clear that the pictures were correct."

After having sex, the man describes how he had "a few cuddles" and a "good chat" with the woman, saying she alone is "worth a trip to Liverpool".

Many men on the site say they were looking for a "girlfriend experience" with a woman who would offer them more than a quick sexual encounter.

In one review, a man writes: "[She] did everything to provide the girl friend experience - I was not rushed, she was so nice and I will be going back to see her again. Treat her with respect and you will get the best out of her. Thanks again."

From the seedy entries by men posting worrying reviews to the mundane parking information and glowing feedback from happy customers, PunterNet is a strange place.

The reviews catalogued on the site can often make for uncomfortable reading - but they offer a rare view into a world that largely operates in the shadows of society.

The Red Umbrella Project supports sex workers on Merseyside. You can find out more here.