Number of kerb-crawlers arrested in city on the rise

Published on Friday 3 September 2010 11:51

THE number of men arrested by police while trawling for street prostitutes in Edinburgh has risen, new figures reveal.

Most of the men charged under kerb-crawling laws were detained in the Leith area, with those caught risking a criminal record and 1000 fine.

A total of 19 men were arrested for the offence between April and last month, compared with just eight for the same period the year before.

Police chiefs said the men were caught during "normal policing duties", and were not targeted following any perceived increase in street prostitution.

Residents in Leith Links, which was once the traditional haunt for many prostitutes, said it was now "very rare" to see sex workers in the area. But prostitute support workers said the women had been driven to more isolated locations, leaving them more at risk.

They also said the type of men who were not deterred by the kerb-crawling laws introduced in October 2007 are more likely to be a danger.

The figures were revealed just days after Ewan Mackay admitted abducting, raping and attempting to murder Siadaire Robinson who was working as a prostitute in Leith. Ruth Morgan Thomas, who sits on the board of Scotpep, the campaigning advocacy group, said: "There has only been a slight fall-off in street sex workers since the kerb-crawling legislation came into place. Some men were put off by the possibility of a criminal record and that caused a dip in the number of clients.

"But from 100 to 125 women working at various times, the figure is still around 80 to 100.

"Most of the attacks on these women go unreported, but from speaking to the Salvation Army, which is providing services down there, we believe these attacks happen every night.

"The sort of men who would buy sex despite the legal threat, and when they can go to saunas or private flats, are more likely to be involved in such assaults.

"The kerb-crawling laws have exacerbated an already dire situation for sex workers.

"We've also seen women who had at least some measure of control on their lives when we had protected zones for street prostitution lose that."

A total of 51 men were charged with kerb-crawling offences in Edinburgh between last April and August.

Rob Kirkwood, from the Leith Links Residents Association, said: "The rise in the number of arrests suggests that the police are enforcing the law stringently.

"The enforcement of the law has certainly had an effect in Leith Links, where it is now very rare to see a sex worker. That has made a huge difference, particularly for women from the area, who can go out at night confident they won't be mistaken for someone on the game."

A police spokesman said: "New legislation relating to the solicitation of services by persons involved in prostitution came into effect, resulting in an increase in the number of individuals detected for sexual crimes.

"Lothian and Borders Police will continue to proactively tackle the issue of sex crime."