City’s ‘legal red light zone’ stays after murder prompts a review

A SCHEME which allows sex workers to operate in Leeds without fear of arrest will continue, it has been announced.

The Holbeck scheme – thought to be the first of its kind in the country – allows street sex workers to ply for trade in a designated area during certain hours.

Its future had been thrown into doubt by the murder of sex worker Daria Pionko in December.

But the Safer Leeds body yesterday said the scheme would stay in place, on the provision that some changes be made to the way it is run. A detailed plan is still to be drawn up but changes could be made to operating hours and the area covered.

Feedback from residents and businesses showed the idea remained unpopular with some, with about a third of respondents saying they wanted it scrapped.

However, the majority thought it should continue in its current form or with some changes made.

Safer Leeds, which brings together Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Police and other partners, said it had learnt “valuable lessons” from the review and public consultation.

A spokesman said: “We’ll be taking these lessons forward in a bid to provide a long-term solution to sex work in the area, balancing the different needs of the community, businesses, sex workers, agencies and support teams.

“We’ve listened closely to the range of strong views expressed on what is undoubtedly an extremely complex issue and acknowledge that some things worked, while others didn’t.”

The review was announced in February following national media attention in the wake of Ms Pionko’s murder.

A Polish sex worker who lived in the city, 21-year-old Ms Pionko was killed on December 22 last while working in Holbeck.

Her killer, 24-year-old Lewis Pierre, was found guilty on July 4 and given a life term with a minimum of 22 years in jail.

Critics argued that Ms Pionko’s murder meant the scheme had failed to keep sex workers from harm and should be abolished.

But the idea behind the scheme was to address some of the concerns of residents and businesses in an area that had long been known as a red light area.

Research had found that police action, including arrests, prosecutions and anti-social behaviour orders, was failing to reduce levels of prostitution.

The Safer Leeds spokesman said: “Having lessened the problems experienced in residential areas and during the day – and to build on the significant improvement in the confidence of sex workers to report crimes and work with agencies and support services – attention will be focused on providing increased support to vulnerable sex workers with complex needs, particularly addictions, to exit this work.

“Alongside this, targeted enforcement tactics will seek to tackle the number of people coming to the area because of the sex trade.”

The decision was welcomed by Basis Yorkshire, a Leeds-based which supports sex workers.

Chief executive Gemma Scire said sex workers were now more likely to report crimes and four cases had been to court in the past year.

“In three of these cases, criminals were found guilty of serious, violent crimes, thereby protecting not only the women but the residents of the community of Leeds from further potential crimes.”

We’ve listened closely to the range of strong views expressed. Safer Leeds spokesman