Recession 'forces' ex-Woolies employee to turn into vice girl

London, Jan 25 (ANI): An out-of-job Woolworths shop girl was so much in debt that she had to get into skin trade to pay her bills.

With employers in Britain sacking people because of the recession, Zara claims she had no other choice but going on the game.

"I'm in so much debt. There are no jobs around and it is the only way I could see of coping. But I never thought I'd end up doing this . . . " News of the World quoted her as saying.

And now, the pretty 22-year-old sells her services over the internet on an escort website.

Advertising herself as "Ex-Woolies Girl" she began by offering intimate massage and oral sex for 100 pounds an hour.

She confessed: " "From that point it's not that much of a bigger step to offer more and now I do full sex for an extra 50 pounds.

"Admittedly it's not my dream job. But I just think about how much money I owed, and it's quick money. Quick, but not easy."

Till last month, Zara was getting the minimum wage of 5.73 pounds for shelf stacking and manning the till at her local Woolies in a Sussex town.

"It wasn't glamorous. Days were long and you were often on your feet the whole time. But it was a job and I was earning a living," she said.

But, just before Christmas Zara was left heartbroken to learn she was being made redundant as the company crashed throwing 27,000 out of work.

With a 2,000 pounds debt from credit cards, general household and telephone bills, a desperate Zara started looking at escort websites and got on to her new job.

However, Zara's unexpected new profession in recession-hit Britain is a far cry from the job she really yearns for.

She said: "All I've ever wanted to do is become a counsellor and help people. I wanted to do an access course that could lead to university last year, but I just couldn't afford it.

"There's another course starting September that I'd love to do, but God knows if I'll be able to pay for it." (ANI)