Operation sex trade clean-up

Arkwright Street, Westwood

SPECIAL REPORT: the Chronicle was allowed exclusive access to Oldham police’s operation to clean up local prostitution. Reporter Andrew Rudkin spent a night on patrol with officers.

A crackdown on Oldham’s notorious vice trade is proving a success in cleaning up local streets.

Action taken including scaring away kerb-crawlers and getting prostitutes into drug rehabilitation — or arresting persistent offenders — has seen the number of sex-trade workers dwindling, say police.

Operation Dalmore was launched to tackle prostitution and kerb-crawling in the borough’s red-light district. Before the strategy, sex-trade workers were common around Featherstall Road — but numbers have now fallen.

Officers say the issue is still there and they continue to work to eradicate on-street workers. Prostitutes have been given a chance to get themselves back on the straight and narrow.

The women have been handed Home Office orders — a “three-strike” system — before being arrested and taken to court.

She said: “What we did was offer them an interview at the Oldham Drug Intervention Programme: the main problem is that they have a drug habit.

“They were told in no uncertain terms that if they didn’t want to get clean of drugs, that was up to them, but if they continued to solicit, then enforcement action would be taken.

“The opportunity to clean themselves up is there.”

Operation Dalmore was launched last May after concerns by residents of Werneth and Westwood.

The number of kerb-crawlers has been decreasing, say police.

Letters are sent to registered keepers of identified cars.

PC Minshull explained; “If we find people kerb-crawling in the area, they can be cautioned. We can send a letter saying ‘just so you are aware, this vehicle was seen in the area known for prostitution’.

“It is a deterrent that works quite well.”


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