Prostitution ‘still blighting Bradford streets’

Majid Khan handed in the 1,500-name petition in July calling for police and council action in the Lumb Lane area.

Since then, police patrols have been stepped up and several meetings have been held with residents but prostitutes and kerb crawlers can still be regularly seen in the area.

Mr Khan, of the Lumb Lane Business Forum, said families were fed up of seeing prostitutes, pimps and drug dealers in the area.

Businesses are angry that they continue to find used needles and condoms on the streets every morning.

Despite the concerns of locals, West Yorkshire Police said yesterday that there had been a drop in crime and feedback from residents had been positive.

A police spokesman said: “The police, working together with the Probation Service and Bradford Council want to ensure that the community of Lumb Lane feel supported, reassured and safe.

“We have listened to their concerns about crime and have put in place a series of joint measures, which includes focused patrols in the area.

“While initial feedback from residents has been positive and there has been a reduction in crime, we will continue to work in partnership to further tackle this issue.”

A recent council report said businesses believed that the problem of prostitution was putting customers from visiting the area.

Fears of vigilante-style action were also raised by local campaigners.

The report, written by the Prostitution Strategic Partnership, said: “Religious groups are keen to address the moral impact that prostitution brings. They are concerned about the needle and condom litter that is a linked issue and they are particularly keen to avoid vigilantism which they see as attracting negative publicity into their neighbourhood.”

In January there were “isolated incidents of groups of young men walking around the streets trying to ‘deter’ street prostitution”, the report said.

A council proposal for more CCTV cameras on Lumb Lane has been put forward but funding has yet to be found.