THE "oldest profession" of prostitution has caused controversy in Bolton during recent years as working girls have been seen walking residential streets near the town centre and young prostitutes have been touting for business during the middle of the day in the established red light area. Now a scheme operated by health workers is trying to make a difference by working with the prostitutes. BEN reporter Beverly Greenberg looks at the work of The Van in the red light district.

IT is cold, the streets are dark and wet . . . the sort of winter night in which no woman feels safe out of doors.

Prostitutes working the streets of Bolton town centre are no exception.

Often vulnerable, lone figures they can be easy prey to any of society's evils -- drugs, disease, dealers, muggers, rapists or even killers.

But for many it is an all too necessary way of life . . . a downward spiral with no way out.

And it is into this climate that a dedicated team of nurses and volunteers have placed themselves.

Prostitutes working the streets of Bolton town centre have been given a safe haven for advice and health care -- on the back of a lorry.

The Van is a 40 foot mobile health clinic which visits the main town centre area for street prostitution one night a week.

Funded by the Community Healthcare Bolton NHS Trust, the Substance Misuse Service is working in partnership with the local authority, police and voluntary agencies to improve services for street prostitutes.

They are now keen to expand on its success by extending its services and increasing visits. A bid for £100,000 has been put in and a decision is expected over the next few weeks.

Gary Oulds, manager of the Substance Misuse Service, said: "If we get the Home Office money it will help us expand provision for street prostitutes. This would not only benefit the women engaged in sex work and drug misuse but would send a positive signal to the wider community that their concerns about prostitution were being addressed.

"We want to get them out of their spiral of prostitution and drug use. Long term we want The Van to enable the women to get out.

"An average night can see 30 girls visiting the clinic. It is about making life safer and healthier for women and perhaps helping to stop the overflow into residential areas next to the established working areas."

'I owe my life to dedicated volunteers' A YOUNG girl who was a drug addict at 16 and a prostitute a year later owes her life to The Van.

She has not touched drugs or worked the streets for eight months.

One of the nurses who runs the mobile health unit, Donna Cardell, worked with the girl.

And the ex-prostitute admits: "If it wasn't for Donna I'd be dead.

"I had an embolism which she diagnosed and she got me into hospital straight away."

The young girl started using drugs at 16 and was involved in prostitution one year later.

The Van not only guided her to a future off drugs and the streets, but literally saved her life.

She has been drug free since March 2000, and has not worked the streets for more than eight months.

Donna said: "This young woman has been drug free for months. She started using drugs at 16 and was involved in prostitution a year later.

"I helped her get into a residential rehabilitation centre and I have worked with her since The Van started operating in February 1997. Now she is doing really well.

"We would like to see more women making the break and perhaps getting into mainstream employment and training. More sessions of the Van would be a start, but we need to ensure that women get a broader range of help."

These are some of the other comments from women who have used The Van:

"Before we had The Van, I found it really lonely working down here because I didn't know anyone and where I could go to for advice."

"Since I've been coming to The Van I've felt that people who work on it treat us like human beings and not pieces of meat. It's good that they have a dodgy punters notice board as well. It makes me feel safer."

"We could do with The Van down here more often as it's safer working down here when it is on."

"You can have a warm brew and there is always someone you can get good advice from."

"The Van should be on more nights as it's great when it's down here 'cos you can get a brew and see a nurse if you need anything."