Prostitution in Leicester

See The Street Offences Act 1959. HMSO, 1959.

Home Office Circular 108/59, 31 July 1959.

The massive decrease in prosecutions in 1960 is probably a function of some girls moving off the streets and using different strategies to attract clients and others building up two cautions prior to a prosecution.

Report of the Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution, HMSO, 1957.

A reporter who conducted an investigation into prostitution in the Metropolis in 1964 claimed “At the end of August 1959, the vast majority of the, possibly, 5,000 prostitutes in central London disappeared from view. Five years later, those remaining in operation, are still for the most part invisible. After spending many evenings and nights touring the so-called “vice areas” in London (Soho and Stepney are perhaps the most highly reputable in this respect), both generally over the past years and more particularly in recent months, I can conclude that if prostitution has, as alleged, “gone underground” to the extent that it employs anywhere like the same number of women as it did before the Street Offences Act, it has been buried so deep that prostitution must sadly lack for custom” 128 Justice of the Peace, p320,16 May 1964. However, six years later in a two hour period in Mayfair twenty street girls, over fifty clients and eighteen pick-ups were observed. See John Field, The News of the World, 14 June 1970.

In Leicester estimates, from a variety of quarters, as to the number of girls operating on the streets in Highfields vary between 40 and 200. Observations by students at different times reveals that the number of girls active at any given time does not exceed 20.

Jeremy Sandford, Prostitutes, Sphere Books 1977 comments “Few people care even to guess about the numbers engaged in prostitution in Britain to-day. 1 hazard 50,000, but it may be much more than that.” (p. 10). One difficulty is definition — who is defined as a prostitute and what sexual acts merit the term. Criminal Statistics only reveal those caught and proceeded against. One girl may appear several times in the prosecution figures, so that the 3,988 convictions for 1977 involves considerably fewer girls. Whilst Sandford's estimate may be a reasonable one for all prostitutes the number of girls soliciting or loitering on the streets of England and Wales probably does not exceed 2,000.

Report of the Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution, op.cit., p 81.

See Criminal Law Act 1977, HMSO, 1977.

Simmons J. , Leicester Past and Present, Methuen, 1974, p.10.

Renewal Strategy Annual Review, Leicester City Council, 1977, p.20.

Ibid. Renewal Star Strategy Annual Review, Leicester City Council, 1978 comments “Unfortunately, little has been achieved: Prostitution is still a major cause of environmental problems and lack of confidence in certain areas”, p.22.

This is now in stark contrast with Southampton, where very few girls can be seen soliciting or loitering on the streets, and most have discreet signs in their windows. This appears to be the result of a tacit agreement, probably unofficial, between police, girls and the local authority. On a recent visit the writer was able to observe the Derby Road area and the complete absence of the more objectionable outward manifestations of prostitution which anger the local citizenry. Local citizens appear to be less annoyed by the activities of prostitutes than previously.

“Meetings have been held with the Police to try to obtain a more concerted effort to reduce the concentration of prostitution in certain streets, but to no avail. “Renewal Strategy Annual Review, op.cit., p.22.

Crook v Edmundson (1966) 1 All E.R. 833.

Although the law appears to be precise the police experience considerable difficulties in dealing with street prostitution. Prostitutes rapidly identify the vice squad officers and the vehicles employed (In many American cities the squad use rented cars to overcome this difficulty.)

Leicester Mercury 30 January 1976.

The Working Party on Vagrancy and Street Offences , HMSO, 1976, reviewed the law on street soliciting and ‘kerb crawling’. Their recommendations will be considered by the Criminal Law Revision Committee appointed by Roy Jenkins, former Home Secretary, The CLRC is to undertake a comprehensive review of the law on sexual offences. A Policy Advisory Committee on Sexual Offences has been appointed to provide the necessary expertise to advise on the wider medical and sociological questions which may arise during the review and also to provide an assessment of lay opinion.

The constant turnover of girls, who frequently change their names and addresses and travel to and from Leicester, hinders identification. The technical difficulties of obtaining evidence and convictions are ever present.

Leicester Mercury 1 December 1977.

One of the radical recommendations of a committee appointed to investigate prostitution in Isreal is that girls should be able to advertise in newspaper!.

I am indebted to the Leicester City Council for providing the map; my colleague Val Marett for the press cuttings service; the staffs of the Scraptoft Campus Library of the Leicester Polytechnic, the City Library, and June Lardner, Leicester Mercury Librarian; Roger Jackson of the Leicester Polytechnic Computer Centre for technical advice and assistance and to a number of ladies, who have requested that their names be not published, for advice, information and encouragement.

The the students who assisted with research and information;.