PROSTITUTION

Prostitution has always been legal in the UK. Working alone indoors, or for an agency is legal provided the worker is at least 18. It's also legal to be a sex worker at a brothel provided you don't assist in its management. It would be very difficult to find a jury today willing to convict for gay personal or escort ads. The Crown Prosecution Service, responsible for deciding which cases to take to court, have published much of their advice to their staff. Of particular interest is the section on 'Offences Against Public Morals And Decency', including these thoughts:

At all times, you should bear in mind the following general objectives of the legislation involving prostitution, namely:

* To keep prostitutes off the street to prevent annoyance to members of the public;
* To prevent people leading or forcing others into prostitution;
* To penalise those who organise prostitutes and make a living from their earnings;
* Generally the more serious the incident the more likely that a prosecution will be required;
* The age of the prostitute and the position of those living off the earnings will clearly be relevant;

... so people working for themselves, off the streets, are clearly not a priority for the CPS. Indeed, indoor work is generally targeted less than street work, and single brothels are targeted less than chains, but patterns of law enforcement vary at different times and in different places. (Source: SW5)

Police are planning to launch undercover crackdowns on street prostitutes every six weeks in Derby, after the success of a large-scale operation. Officers from Derby and Pear Tree made 22 arrests during the course of the two-day swoop. On arriving in Sacheverel Street in an unmarked Vauxhall Corsa, it was immediately apparent the police would have plenty of targets during their prostitution clampdown.

The light was fading but, with a view across open space between Derby Islamic Centre and The Spot, there were two prostitutes clearly waiting for punters. From a safe distance, so as not to arouse suspicion, plain-clothed police officer Sergeant Sean Dawson and PC Rani Atwal were keeping tabs on the prostitutes, while we tried to keep a low profile in the back seat.

One woman was propped up against a phone box beneath a lamp post in Wilmot Street, while another occasionally wandered over to speak to her. At the end of the street, on the corner of Normanton Road, there were three more women of varying ages, plying their trade. And so, this latest police crackdown on prostitution began.

Over the years, the police have used such tactics particularly in the Pear Tree area, but this operation was a little different. It was on a bigger scale than before. Two teams of eight officers were assigned to the 6pm to 2am shift. One team came from Pear Tree police and the other from Derby North section.

There was a similar operation in September 2003, but on a smaller scale. It was also a departure from the usual practice of what is known as "high-visibility" policing, that is uniformed officers patrolling the area. Like any city, Derby has a red-light district of sorts, but prostitutes have tended to move around, sometimes driven out by police patrols or residents mounting protests.

Rose Hill, Pear Tree, Normanton Road and Mill Hill Lane have all been hunting grounds for these women, whose ages range from 18 to women in their 50s. It is not known how many street prostitutes are in Derby, but there is thought to be a core of about 20. This operation included all these areas plus Wilmot Street and Sacheverel Street area, just minutes away from the city centre leading to complaints from residents and Muslims using the mosque.

As the evening wore on, the same familiar cars circled the streets. They were not stopping to pick up any of the women. But, before long, one of the prostitutes had picked up her first punter, a young man wearing a baseball cap who had approached her on foot. She was spotted walking arm-in-arm with him in Sacheverel Street.

They were both followed by police to a derelict house, when the officers pounced and caught them in the act. The girl, who appeared to be in her 20s, was found with £20 stuffed down her sock, the going rate for oral sex. Full sex costs twice as much, according to police. Her punter was clearly embarrassed and unhappy about having his photograph taken. He appeared to be in his early 20s and he was claiming it was a one-off and a stupid mistake.

Police discovered he had no previous convictions, so they decided to let him off with a warning. He did, however, lose his £20. The prostitute was taken to St Mary's Wharf police station to receive her 'street caution'. Under law, a prostitute is entitled to two of these cautions during a 12-month period. After two cautions, she will be charged with soliciting and end up before the courts, where she is likely to receive a small fine.

She will then become known to police as a 'common prostitute', which will mean she will lose her right to warnings for three years and will automatically be charged if she is arrested again. During the evening the police would go on to make nine arrests and as the arrests increased the numbers of prostitutes dwindled. By midnight the police had cleared the area.

During the early hours, the only sign of activity was a prostitute who had earlier been arrested arguing with a man, who was understood to be her pimp. Officers made a further 13 arrests, three of them kerb-crawlers. In total, there were 22 arrests during the course of the two nights, with 19 arrests being prostitutes and the rest kerb-crawlers. All three kerb-crawlers were charged along with nine prostitutes.

The police are so pleased with the results they are planning to launch similar operations on a regular basis, probably every six weeks. But it remains to be seen if police crackdowns will make a difference to Derby's prostitute problem. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)