UPDATE: Scarborough '˜escort' scandal: my story

Mother-of-one Sarah Tulip claims she is no longer a sex worker and thought she was signing up to a “dating website”, but admitted to having a past.

She said she used to sell sex when she lived in London, but had since turned her life around after being stabbed by a former partner and moving to Scarborough in 2014.

She said: “I do respect myself - I wouldn’t dare sell myself - what for?

“I thought it was a dating site and I had a breakdown after being stabbed and everything, it was a really hard thing to get over.”

Sarah, who asked to be known as Sarah May, also blasted mental health services, who she says have “let her down”.

She added: “I have made friends with really nice people in Scarborough.

“I coped on my own - but with mental health problems it’s been really difficult.

“There’s not a lot of support into mental health.”

Ms Tulip’s story came to light after she told Scarborough Magistrates’ Court that she could only afford to pay off her court debts at £5 per week as she was on benefits.

The Scarborough News story was picked up by national news agencies and publications including The Sun.