Prostitutes' clients face prosecution

Men who use prostitutes smuggled into Britain will face prosecution under plans to curb the international sex trade.

Ministers are considering making it a criminal offence to have sex with a woman who has been forced into the work.

Traffickers are thought to smuggle more than 1,400 women a year into Britain, promising respectable jobs. But on arrival the women are forced into prostitution to repay crippling debts charged for their journey.

Many work the West End, too scared to complain because they are illegal immigrants. Solicitor General Harriet Harman is liaising with the Home Office on moves to criminalise men who use their services.

At present, having sex with prostitutes is not a crime, unlike associated activities such as brothel-keeping and kerb-crawling. The Home Office is reviewing prostitution legislation. Ministers plan to introduce more support to help prostitutes out of the trade, and harsher punishments for those who use them.