Kerb crawlers could be banned from driving under new laws being explored by both Westminster and Holyrood governments.

Launching a campaign highlighting new legislation which makes it illegal to try to buy sex on Scotland's streets, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and senior police officers will today warn of the potential sanction they want introduced to Scottish courts.

Almost exactly three months after the laws were introduced it has also emerged that 40 men have been charged with soliciting for sex and face a criminal record and £1000 fine.

Well over half of these, 25, were in Glasgow, with all but one of the others arrested in Edinburgh.

The law in Scotland has traditionally criminalised only the individuals selling such services, not the customers.

More than one-third of people polled for a campaign, which includes posters and material in pubs, said the threat of being named and shamed' was the most effective deterrent.

One in eight either believed kerb-crawling was legal or did not know the law.

In order to bolster the sanctions available, Mr MacAskill said the Scottish Government was working with Westminster to ensure that in future the courts will have the power to disqualify offenders from driving.

Civil servants in Edinburgh have been negotiating with their London counterparts for months over introducing devolved powers to confiscate offenders' vehicles.

The issue is currently reserved to Westminster.

Mr MacAskill said of kerb crawlers: "Don't fool yourself that your actions and their consequences will not harm the very things closest to you, your family, friendships and employment it will."

He said Holyrood had also given £1m in funding to Scotland's four largest cities to develop local strategies to tackle the various problems associated to prostitution, such as poverty and addiction.

John Neilson, as Strathclyde Police's assistant chief constable with responsibility for community safety, has been to the fore in using the new legislation.

He said: "Street prostitution won't be eradicated overnight but we're very encouraged by the positive and immediate impact our efforts seem to be yielding.

"Our front-line officers, partners and community groups are reporting a fall in the number of sellers and purchasers.

"There's no doubt the enforcement activity is already having a positive impact."

Jan Macleod, of the Women's Support Project in Leith, Edinburgh, said: "People need to be made aware, both of the existence of the new legislation, and of the rationale behind tackling the demand from men to buy sex."