BOLTON Tory hopeful James Stevens has called for a "mature debate" on prostitution in the wake of the scandal surrounding a house offering sex for sale in his prospective constituency.

A BEN investigation revealed that sex was for sale from a large detached bungalow in Bolton Road, Hunger Hill.

The premises have since been closed after the landlord gave the business -- known as Utopia -- its marching orders.

Mr Stevens said he was delighted that the business had now been closed but called for measures to be taken to ensure that sex is kept out of the suburbs.

And said that this should include a serious look at the decriminalisation of prostitution.

He said: "I think we need to look again at how we treat this whole issue and we need to re-appraise the way we look at the issue of prostitution in the UK.

"I think many people still take the view that it just doesn't exist," he said. "Those who make money from the trade are punished by the law but as we have seen in Hunger Hill it is all too real and we need to look at how we deal with the problem rather than just moving it on."

The prospective parliamentary candidate for Bolton West recently spoke against Shadow Home Secretary Ann Widdecombe's call for zero tolerance on drugs accusing her of being "out of touch" with the public on the issue. He said: "I have no truck with prostitution and would never condone it but we need to be realistic. The way we deal with prostitution does not provide those who practise the trade the protection they deserve.

"It also does little to prevent the hazards that go with it such as the danger of sexually transmitted diseases."

He added: "We need to be educating people and trying to get the girls off the streets but we also need to be freeing the police up to concentrate on more serious crime."

Bolton Police say it is still an offence to run a "disorderly house" but during the Hunger Hill investigation said they did not treat such matters as a policing priority.

Mr Stevens said he believed the decriminalisation of prostitution would be a way forward and he said he believes brothels, away from residential areas, and licensed by the council, would be good idea.

"I think we should be taking our lead from how other European countries deal with prostitution which I think is much more mature than our own," he said. "Places like Holland have realised it is not going to go away so have tried to take the criminal side of it away.

"We don't want a repeat of what happened in Hunger Hill but I don't think for one minute it couldn't happen again tomorrow," he said.

"If the trade was licensed and registered with the council in much the same way as the pubs are we could establish designated areas away from residential areas where they could operate. If they were regularly inspected for on health and safety grounds and to ensure those who operate such places are complying with the conditions of any licence then is has to be a step forward."

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