RICHARD BALLS Small-scale "mini-brothels" could be legalised and kerbcrawlers heavily targeted as part of a new Government strategy aimed at reducing street prostitution, it was announced yesterday.

RICHARD BALLS

Small-scale "mini-brothels" could be legalised and kerbcrawlers heavily targeted as part of a new Government strategy aimed at reducing street prostitution, it was announced yesterday.

The laws could be changed to allow two prostitutes and a "maid" or receptionist to work together legally in private premises - currently only one woman can offer sex from premises without breaking the law.

Men crawling the streets to buy sex could face losing their driving licences and be forced to undertake courses as an alternative to being prosecuted for a first offence.

Earlier plans to introduce controlled red light zones to deal with street prostitution have been ditched, amid concerns that such a move could send out the wrong message and could shift the problems associated with street prostitution to other areas.

Home Office minister Fiona McTaggart said yesterday the main aim was to "disrupt" the sex market. But she admitted prostitution would not be eradicated.

"My understanding is that it should be two women working as a prostitute, but they might have a receptionist," she said.

"I'm not encouraging the commercial sale of women's bodies. I don't think that is something the law should do. I don't think it proper for us to encourage that kind of activity.

"However, I think the evidence that women working on their own are putting themselves in real danger is powerful, and recognise that this is not something that is going to be solved instantly."

In Norwich, various agencies have been working in tandem for some time to address street prostitution.

One prostitute, Carmen Dye, 36, was given a two-year anti-social behaviour order banning her from the red light district, known locally as "The Block", after being given a conviction-related anti-social behaviour order (Crasbo). It is understood that she has not been seen in the area since.

Police estimate that fewer than 25 female prostitutes are currently working on the streets of Norwich and that a greater number are operating from their homes.

Insp Brian Pincher, of Bethel Street police station, welcomed some of the moves to tackle street prostitution and said that a strong message was being sent out to kerbcrawlers that if they continued to visit the red light area they would be caught.

He especially supported plans to create a new specific penalty for prostitutes which - instead of resulting in them receiving a fine - would help to deal with the underlying reasons why they went on the game.

Insp Pincher said the force would review its position in line with the Government's stance.

"Under current legislation, two or three women working at an address would constitute a brothel and we would be looking to see whether any of those individuals are being forced to work there," he said.

"If the Government changes the law, then we will adopt what is appropriate. Ultimately our whole policy is about diversion rather than targeting prostitution and so we don't arrest prostitutes and bring them before the court."

Theresa Cumbers, of the Magdalene Group in Norwich, said she supported any moves to help women get out of prostitution and educate kerbcrawlers.

But she voiced "great concern" about proposals to open places in which up to three women could work.

"What is going to happen is that drug dealers and pimps will become rich," she said. "Who is going to manage these places? That is the really big question that I have.

"That is why a lot of these other zones have been closed down, because they have not been properly managed. We have lots of areas of terraced housing in Norwich. What if a brothel opens up next door? You will have customers coming and going from the place all night and causing a nuisance."