I've never punted in Enfield, but after reading this study of sex workers in the local area, I don't want to either.
External Link/Members OnlyThis part was interesting...
Detailed information on 76 identified brothels in Enfield revealed that 43% of sex workers were of Romanian nationality. Almost two-thirds of brothel workers in Enfield were from the Balkan region whilst almost a third were from Russian Federation nations. Many women involved in prostitution in Enfield brothels do not live locally; the most common addresses were in east London (Barking & Dagenham, East Ham, Forest Gate and Waltham Forest). Brothel workers in Enfield are transient and may work in multiple addresses across London. In several premises it was noted that workers are taken to and from work in mini-cabs, there may also be contracts/financial incentives available for mini-cab firms or individual drivers.
This part worries me and has put me off wanting to ever punt in Enfield...
The chance of a trafficked woman revealing her status to authorities is extremely limited therefore they are prone to coercion, violence and mental health issues. Only half of brothel workers in Enfield interviewed had access to their passports, only 34% knew they would be selling sex in the UK and only 16% were told they could work legally in the UK.
It all seems to be legitimate if you look at the references at the end of the page, lots of research has been done, it's not just a random set of figures put together to bang home a message that prostitution is bad.