In the line of business that us girls have decided to walk down security is one of our most important learning tools.

We invite strangers into our homes, workplace, enter stranger's homes, stranger's hotels and we forget that these people are strangers. We don't know them, they could be the next serial murderer. There are only a few checks that we can carry out on our clients and most understand our need for this. The amount of girls I know that carry out no checks whatsoever is horrifying.

Best case scenario of not carrying out checks, we turn up to a job and the guy is great. Bad scenario we are sent on a wild goose chase. Hoax booking, we waste our fuel and time getting ready for this job, we turn other jobs away for this hoax booking so it is a total dead loss. Worst case scenario we turn up at some fruit loops house, think Fred and Rose West, and we get hurt or worse.

Many new girls contact me looking for advice on starting out as a newbie and the biggest, most important thing to learn is security checks. I look around my circle of escort friends past and present and most of them can tell a tale of why it is so important to check guys out.

Shannon had been an escort for about two years when she had a string of assaults. The first was a client that used to like strangling her. Each time she told him not to, but never stern enough. On the last time she saw him he made her pass out. Another time on an outcall she was held naked in an apartment, locked in a tiny room. She was stripped moments after walking through the front door, she tried calling for help but they got her phone too quick. The following day when they unlocked the door they led her to the living room where they sat her on the sofa and proceeded to cut up coke with a razor blade on her leg. Her leg was slashed and she needed stitches.

Lisa, a stickler for not electoral roll checking clients. She has been sent on so many wild goose chases it is beyond belief. The girl never learns, ELECTORAL ROLL CHECK THEM!!! she has been sent to houses over 100 miles away before, been sent to house by young boys, gone to houses which are derelict. It is only a matter of time before she gets hurt but she never learns. I have yelled and begged til I am blue in the face but to no avail.

I have been assaulted a handful of times since I started almost five years ago. The first time was in my first few months. I had said that I didn't want to see this one particular client ever again but when I looked out of my window one afternoon looking for my next client I recognised his car, I argued with the girl that gave me the job and we agreed that this was definately the last time I would see them. I had spent about 3 hrs curling my hair and carefully applying my make up. He came in and the first thing he did was order me into the shower to wash out the curls and change the make up. Having recently returned to work following having my tonsils removed I was still a bit delicate. He pulled me around like a rag doll, to which I tried to protest, then he slammed my upper body into my metal bedframe. I haemorraged. When I got up to try and leave the bedroom and go to the other bathroom to call for help he followed me and slammed the fire door against my side. I was blue down one side for weeks. I remember clients being livid and ringing the booker to yell at them. Unfortunately, this was the last attack I would recieve.

As I have gotten older and bigger I get less trouble of the violent kind. I have had the serial violent clients but very few random ones.

I have learnt over the years how to protect myself and cover my backside.

1. Learn a form of self defence

2 . Never accept withheld calls or text messages. All bookings must be made by calls only. Email enquiries are fine but to book they have to pick up the phone.

Incalls. Never give the address out. Directions only from landmark. Go with your gut feeling on the phone. If they start acting iffy or stroppy disconnect the call. Any obsessive behaviour beforehand do not accept the call.

Invest in good CCTV. It is an asset to any property, it will help reduce car and house insurance and it will also give you peace of mind. Car reg's will be logged and you will be able to see people coming and going. Mine can hear what is going on outside and you can also talk back.

A dog. Pets are great, so many people are scared of them. And even the puniest of creatures will not let someone attack their mummy.

Keep something close to hand. Deep heat. Panic alarms. A hammer. Anything to help you get out of a jam.

Get someone to do your security. Come up with a calling or texting system so someone knows your movements. When I incall overseas I always take a burly lump of a man with me. In Ireland the first thing my clients see is my security. That was the quickest way to stop the violent ones getting slap happy.

Outcalls. Electoral roll check them. 192 offer many searches for free. Even if they are ex-directory as long as you have the surname and the postcode it will confirm them. It also contains phone numbers so you can check their landlines out. There are many other search companies out there. Land registry to check to see if they own the property, if they don't show up on the electoral roll. DVLA checks. Company director checks. Most checks are available at a price. Research these checking companies and invest in a good one.

Hotel bookings. Always check the booking reservation number against the name, and then against the room. Ring the room before setting off. I never leave home to go to a hotel booking unless the person is already present in the hotel.

Drivers. Many girls take drivers with them on outcalls. It means they can have a drink and have that added bit of security.

If a house looks dodgy from the outside, WALK AWAY!! If you enter a property and you feel that this person is not alone, get out of there, text someone for help, search the property.

Always, always go with your gut instinct. I ignored mine once a few years ago and wore a baseball bat on my spine. Two fractures heeled later and three damaged nerves I have learnt all my lessons the painful way.

Share information with other escorts in your area. Even if you don't post it on the net warnings will still get around and someone will post it. Girls need to stick together, the Ipswich murders taught us that. We all looked out for each others backs. Many of our clients were called in for questioning. If you look out for other escorts they may return the favour.

Save blacklisted numbers into your phone, guys can be stupid and try to ring again a few months later.

If you are ever unsure of something ask another girl who is established what they do.