Men held in street vice crackdown

Many prostitutes work to get money to pay for drugs such as heroin

An operation targeting prostitution in Ipswich has seen 100 men arrested in its first six months.

The aim is to remove street prostitution from the Suffolk town by offering women support in tackling drug addictions and targeting kerb crawlers.

The move follows the deaths of five prostitutes in Ipswich last year.

Since 19 March, 78 men have been arrested for kerb crawling, 15 for outraging public decency and seven for persistent soliciting of women.

Received cautions

Suffolk Police said most of the men have received cautions and most signed up to acceptable behaviour contracts.

In addition to the arrests, car owners and companies have received letters after their vehicles were seen more than once in the target area.

Ch Insp Bruce Robinson said: "Hopefully these figures will prove to the public that the issue of prostitution in our town is as important to us as it is to our local community.

"We are concerned that despite the extensive media coverage of the updated strategy and our aim to remove street prostitution from Ipswich that men still come here looking for prostitutes."