Home Secretary pledges crackdown on 'blight' of street prostitution

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith pledged to tackle the "blight" of street prostitution today with new punishments for kerb-crawlers.

Men looking to pick up prostitutes on the street will be breaking the law the first time they try, she said. Currently only repeat offenders can be charged.

The Home Secretary told Labour conference: "We will do more to tackle the blight of street prostitution.

"At the moment only persistent kerb-crawling is outlawed.

"In my book, once around the block is once too many - and so we'll make kerb-crawling punishable as a first offence."

She also promised more powers for councils and police to shut brothels and measures targeted at victims of sex trafficking.

And she said communities would have a "stronger say" in stopping new lap dancing clubs.

President of the Association of Chief Police Officers Chief Constable Ken Jones said: "The Home Secretary has today outlined proposals for taking the protection of vulnerable women a step further and we look forward to working with Government in translating these ideas into practice.

"Protecting the vulnerable in society is fundamental to policing and Acpo is already working with Government and other partners to tackle the problems of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

"Operation Pentameter 2, our most recent concentrated coordinated operation, focused on targeting those traffickers who exploit women and girls.

"The figures show how successful this operation was: as a direct result 160 vulnerable people were saved from lives of abuse, exploitation and misery.

"Equally however, they show the scale of these issues and the importance of doing more to prevent such exploitation.

"We look forward to receiving the full details of this measure and working with Government both to protect those who have been groomed or trafficked into prostitution and to put those who profit from their misery behind bars."

Ministers intend to criminalise men who buy sex from women who have been trafficked into prostitution or who are controlled by a pimp, the Home Office said.

New measures will allow police to close brothels for three month periods.

At the moment officers need evidence of class A drugs being used or anti-social behaviour to intervene. The measures follow a six-month review of prostitution laws.

Ms Smith said: "The Government has a responsibility to protect those who have been groomed or trafficked into prostitution or for those who remain involved for fear of violence from a partner or a pimp.

"So we will start work to outlaw paying for sex with someone forced into prostitution at another's will or controlled for another's gain.