POLL: Should prostitution be criminalised in the UK?

The simple and short answer is yes, but authorities in the UK have tried to discourage the practice by criminalising many of the associated crimes including kerb crawling and managing a brothel.

While prostitution itself is legal the Policing and Crime Act 2009 made it difficult for sex workers to find work on the streets by creating an offence for someone persistently loitering or soliciting in a public place for the purpose of prostitution.

When the police are deciding whether to pursue legal action the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) policy is to 'encourage those offering services as a prostitute to find routes out of prostitution and to deter those who create the demand for it.'

Naturally the deterrence of soliciting on the streets has driven the sex trade indoors, where any criminal organisation behind it is harder to detect.

The Sex Offences Act makes it illegal to 'cause or incite another person to become a prostitute' in order to make a 'gain for himself or third party'.

The same legislation prohibits properties being used for a brothel and also criminalises anyone who 'arranges or facilitates' the travel of another person who will be involved in serious sex offences including exploitation and prostitution.

The CPS has declared that human trafficking has 'fuelled' the UK sex trade particularly those operating behind closed doors.

The authority states: "The increase in human trafficking for sexual exploitation is also fuelling the market for prostitution in the UK, although this is largely confined to off street and residential premises such as brothels, massage parlours, saunas and in residential flats.

"This is a lucrative business and is often linked with other organised criminal activity such as immigration crime, violence, drug abuse and money laundering.

"Women may be vulnerable to exploitation because of their immigration status, economic situation or, more often, because they are subjected to abuse, coercion and violence."

Where advertising prostitution is concerned the Criminal Justice and Police Act imposes restrictions around placing advertisements close to public telephones.

There is little to regulate internet based escorting websites.