As new measures to tackle kerb crawling are set to come into force next month, CLAIRE CARTER speaks to a man who was caught picking up a woman in the city's vice area.

"I knew there was a lot of drugs, but I didn't realise how many or how young people were," said a 53-year-old man who was stopped by police for kerb-crawling.

This was the second time he had driven to the city's red-light area – which covers Mapperley Road, Forest Road and nearby streets in the Arboretum area – and picked up a prostitute.

From April 1 onwards more and more men like him could be facing legal action for kerb-crawling when a new law comes into force.

Previously, police have had to prove a "persistence" element before they could charge someone. In future, anyone who is spotted in a red light area and suspected of kerb-crawling could be charged.

The man who wished to remain anonymous, said he had learned his lesson, but warned other men not to be tempted to pick up prostitutes.

The first time he did it was seven years ago, when drunk. He picked up a woman in Woodborough Road and paid her for sex. This time round he was stopped in his tracks.

After he picked a woman up and drove away, he was stopped by police – just after he had agreed a price of £20 for oral sex with her.

"I'd just come through the beat area from somebody's house," said the man, from St Ann's.

"I didn't intend to pick up a woman at the time, I saw somebody that looked friendly and just stopped.

"I'd just picked them up for a chat really. It developed from that. At the first point it was just needing somebody to talk to.

"I was a bit depressed, it was somebody to chat to at the time."

After he picked up the woman at about 10pm in Mapperley Road, they went to a petrol station, then to Gordon Road in St Ann's and then to an industrial park.

He was stopped by police in April last year and the following month took part in the Change programme – a scheme run by police to educate men about the consequences of kerb-crawling.

Since the course was launched in 2004, a total of 505 men have taken part and just four have re-offended. The man said he was shocked by the number of women who were working on the street to feed a drug addiction – theirs, a partner's or both. In the last three years the number of people who have contacted Prostitution Outreach Workers (POW) with class A drug abuse problems has increased.

Of the 353 people who contacted POW between April 2006 and March 2007, a total of 224 Class A abuse problems were reported. Of the 501 people who made contact in the year up to March 2009, 362 Class A misuse problems were reported.

"I wouldn't do it again now," added the man.

"The biggest reason is the implications to everybody, my family and the people that you are giving the money to are using it for drugs.

"The most shocking thing was the amount of times they have to sell themselves for the rest of the day to get the money for drugs.

"I think in the back of most people's mind they know the money is for drugs. I don't think they want to know, they know what it's for but they try to block it out.

"I found out that some are as young as 12 when they get started. I found that quite shocking, at the end of the day they are children."

As part of the Change programme, men are also encouraged to imagine how they would feel if a family member resorted to working as a prostitute.

He added: "I have a 16-year-old daughter and it's horrible thinking if she was in that situation. If she had found out what I had done I don't know what I'd do."

The number of kerb-crawlers spoken to, cautioned or charged in January and February this year was 39.

Inspector Leona Scurr, of Notts Police, said she was hopeful the new legislation would lead to more kerb-crawlers being caught. She said: "It makes it easier to catch kerb-crawlers and foot punters."

claire.carter@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk