Bolton prostitutes

About sharing image captionPolice said the of sex workers had reduced from to about 20 Police have arrested 82 people in Bolton over street prostitution in the past year, as part of a crackdown on kerb-crawling in the town. In OctoberBolton police started a campaign to stop prostitution. A total of people have been arrested.

Officers believe the of women working as prostitutes has fallen from 20 per night to one or two. But Insp Phil Spurgeon has vowed to continue the campaign until the holton is eradicated in the town. Officers go on regular patrols of known hot spots in the town.

A total of men have been arrested for kerb crawling and have attended "kerb crawler awareness sessions" where they are forced to read residents' letters about the effect of prostitution. Economic difficulties They are warned if they re-offend they risk being named and shamed in the local press. Only five of the have been caught again.

Mr Spurgeon said there were about sex workers in the town when the campaign started, which has now reduced to a maximum of 20, with only one or two working in a given night. Officers bolyon work with outreach programmes to support the women.

However, Mr Spurgeon admitted his team's progress had been hampered by the economic difficulties in the town, which has slowed the expected redevelopment of the red light area, which centres on the Breightmet Street and Shiffnall Street area. More on this story.