London Streets Free From Prostitutes

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28976, 18 August 1959, Page 13

London Streets Free From Prostitutes

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, August 16. Police were able to report today that London streets were free of prostitutes. Throughout the whole area covered by 10 police stations in east, central and west London on the first day after new vice laws came into force only one woman was charged with soliciting, compared with a nightly total of between 20 to 60 under the old laws.

One police officer said: “There’s no doubt that the street offences Act has frightened them for the time being. But it will take a few weeks before we can really assess the position.” Until now prostitutes have had to be caught soliciting. The maximum fine they faced was £2. Under the new laws, however, the “common prostitute” who is known to the police can be charged with Simply loitering and fined £ 10 on the first charge. £25 on the second occasion, and a further £25 or three months' imprisonment the third time. Many prostitutes have said they

are going to give up their trade because of the threat of sterner punishment. Police, however, say they believe that many may get round the laws b. operating a “call-girl system." handing round “business cards” and getting men to visit their flats.

Police fear that the number of brothels in London is likely to rise to and some of those girls who operate alone may move out to the suburbs.

Dark).ess tonight brought few external signs of vice to the Soho district of London. Streets which once swarmed with prostitutes now contained none of them. But from scores of small dingy doorways men or girls beckoned customers in to what they termed “bars with plenty of girls.” Mayfair too. was free of street walkers In Hyde Park visitors could walk in peace without being accosted by prostitutes. The park bandstand, infamous because of trouble there in the past, was quiet and the carriageways were free of the girls who once frequented them in smart 1 cars. *