IT IS time that the police stopped hounding prostitutes off the streets of Blackburn.

They provide a useful service to certain men and, no doubt, save many young women and children from possible sexual assault.

Many of the prostitutes are driven into prostitution through heroin addiction and others through poverty.

I believe that prostitution needs to be legalised and special places or areas set up in which they can ply their trade. The oldest trade in the world is tolerated and provided for by many other countries.

The HIV and Aids virus and other sexually-transmitted diseases could then be kept under control by health checks and certificates of health issued to those cleared of infection.

These people need help, not prosecution. They are all somebody's children.

J PILKINGTON (MR), Elm Street, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.