THIS "BEN" reader is puzzled and perplexed by proposed new legislation to help clear prostitutes off Britain's streets.

All over this country, brothels are blatantly allowed to flourish and prostitutes are allowed to ply their unsavoury wares under the guise of massage parlours and escorts, by advertising their vice trade six days a week in so-called family, national and regional newspapers!

Chief Constables and Chair of the Association of Police Authorities are like the Three Wise Monkeys -- hearing no evil, speaking no evil and seeing no evil -- being more blinkered than Red Rum, over the roots of prostitution.

What is the point in cracking down on street prostitution on one hand and ignoring brothels on the other hand when all the major criminal law books, without exception, clearly depict that various offences have been duly committed under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 viz under Sections 31, 33, 34 and 35 of the said Act (Women exercising control over a prostitute) (keeping a brothel) (landlord letting premises for use as a brothel) (tenant permitting premises to be used as a brothel).

Britain's Police have certainly made spectacles of themselves (like opticians) as looking at street prostitutes through rose-coloured glasses has sadly clouded their tinted judgement!

Because not even Merlin the Magician would be able to make any sense out of this ludicrous police proposal to target street prostitutes and to ignore brothels, with the apparent police policy -- "out of sight, out of mind!"

Evan Williams

Carr Meadow

Clayton-le-Woods

Preston