I AM a serving police officer, based at Preston Police Station.

I am writing because I think it is time to put the record straight with regards to the prostitutes and beggars in Preston.

I know why these people do what they do.

It is simply a means to obtain money for drugs - predominantly heroin - to which they are addicted.

I don't know a single 'homeless and hungry' beggar in Preston.

They all have accommodation and make about £40 a day from begging.

As for the prostitutes in the Fletcher Road area, the numbers are increasing daily and there are now approximately 40 prostitutes 'working' in that area.

Again, they do it to finance heroin addiction and I know of only one girl who does it for reasons other than drugs.

We turn a blind eye to these activities and tolerate them at our peril.

The girls are getting younger and town centre beggars even fight among themselves for the best pitches from which to harass people.

I have heard it said that by allowing the prostitutes to operate, we cut the chances of a rise in theft from the town centre shops - the logic being that this would be an alternative means of making money for the girls should we clamp down on their current activities.

The situation is ridiculous and we should hold our heads in shame at the lack of positive action taken to remedy this worrying trend.

While I can sympathise with the predicament some of these people find themselves in, it is against the law to do what they do.

I know it's not simply a straightforward issue of right or wrong, but we are now faced with these activities on such a scale that I think we have passed the point of no return.

And that is a sad state of affairs all round.

Name and address

supplied

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.