You can’t stop this trade
DESPERATE women who say they are forced to sell their bodies after getting caught in a poverty trap are urging the council not to axe the zone.
One, a 30-year-old mum, said: “I’ve got no criminal record and I don’t take drugs. I’ve never stolen anything in my life. But three months ago I lost my professional job of 10 years and I’ve got nothing to live on.
“I’ve got a claim in for benefits but haven’t had a penny. They tell me to be patient, but being patient isn’t going to feed my child or pay my mortgage.
“A few months ago I’d only ever slept with seven men, now I’m seeing perverts every night.
“I hate it but I’ve got to pay my bills and save my home. This is my secret, Scene at night my partner thinks I work in a bar. It’s a horrible secret to keep.”
But she urged the council and police not to shut the zone down, adding: “This is an industrial area, there’s CCTV and police patrolling all the time. It’s safe for us here. You’re never going to stop this trade, toleration is the key.” A mum-of-two, aged 29, also claimed a cut in benefit forced her on to the streets. She said: “They took £72 a week off me. My kids are nine and one and I need to get school uniform for the eldest.
“I didn’t have a good childhood. My kids aren’t going to suffer like I did. What the kids want, they get.
“But it has to be paid for. That’s why I’m here. My boyfriend doesn’t know. He