There were frowns and awkward sideways glances this week, when it was noticed that a city centre unemployment office had remarkably metamorphisised into something less savoury, it's fair to say.
Essex House, the Unemployment Benefit Office on the corner of Manor Street and Alfred Gelder Street in Hull, had been the place where unemployed people 'signed-on' every two weeks to get their benefit payments sent to them through the post two days later.
To kill time whilst they were queueing, they could amuse themselves by perusing some available cleaning jobs that were posted on, what were described as, 'job boards'.
Sometime the last ten years, however, some prankster has wittily removed the first two letters from the plaque in the foyer of the building, to leave it reading 'SEX HOUSE', and illegal parking in the area has more than trebled.
Jenny Strokes, a Benefits Advisor, whose job it is to advise people about benefits, said:
"It's rather annoying, if you must know. We've had all kinds in here, asking which floor it is for 'y'know', and it's a bit embarrassing."
But Jenny's boss, David Punter, takes it less seriously. He said:
"We've opened up a 'new section' on the top floor, and managed to lower local unemployment drastically, but the council still need to find some space for a new car park."
