A sick gang of human traffickers forced girls to sleep with men for cash on a two-week sex slave tour of the UK.

Victims were taken from the Czech Republic to Dublin, before stopping off to meet men at locations including Belfast, Stranraar and Maidstone.

The three were finally caught after travelling the length of the country when one of the girls convinced the manager of a Maidstone hotel she was being held prisoner.

Police were called and the investigating officers arrested seven suspects. But no further action was taken against four of them.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the three arrested later admitted a series of human trafficking for sexual exploitation charges.

They were handed a total of 23 years behind bars.

The court heard two victims were approached in the Czech Republic to travel to Ireland to take part in sham marriages.

When they arrived in Dublin on June 7 they met with foreign males and one of the girls was forced to have sex with one of these men.

They were then moved into the UK and travelled from Belfast to Stranraer.

They then drove through England being forced to have sex with men for money.

Their nightmare finally ended when they came to Maidstone and were able to report their captors on June 24.

Martin Brusch, 31, of no fixed abode, and 37-year-old Dusan Horvat, of Dover Road, Folkestone, both pleaded guilty to four charges.

They were two counts of trafficking persons into the UK for sexual exploitation and two of trafficking persons within the UK for sexual exploitation.

Brusch and Horvat were each sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Ivan Gujda, 38, of Albany Road, Chatham, admitted two counts of human trafficking for sexual exploitation within the UK and was handed three years.

DC Alison Howland, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "I am pleased with the result of today's case which brings a conclusion to the end of many months of hard work by our investigation team.

"This was a complex case with significant enquiries being carried out in Ireland and The Czech Republic as well as throughout the UK.

"I would like to thank the authorities in both these countries who have given us fantastic co-operation, enabling us to gather significant evidence against the offenders which undoubtedly led to their guilty plea.

"I would also like to thank the victims for coming forward and giving us their vital testimony which enabled us to bring this group to justice and prevent other women from falling prey to this trafficking ring.

"This has been an excellent example of working together to protect victims from this vile trade."