PROSTITUTES are creeping into the city centre of Aberdeen to ply their trade, residents and businesses have complained.
Increasing concerns led to the arrest of five people in the city centre and harbour areas in a police crackdown at the weekend.
In an operation largely targeting Market Street, police charged three women with loitering. A man and a woman were each charged with soliciting.
Labour MSP for Aberdeen Central Lewis Macdonald said: “I have had concerns raised by constituents which I have passed on regarding prostitutes operating towards the city centre.
“The way in which it is monitored is very important for people who live in the area. They should not have their lives affected by prostitutes or their clients.
“It was previously confined and policed in the harbour area which I think worked quite well in general. I think there is concern that it is less easy to police since the removal of the tolerance zone.”
The prostitute tolerance zone in the harbour area was scrapped in October after six years.
The Prostitution (Public Places) Scotland Act 2007 made it an offence to solicit the services of someone engaged in prostitution and to loiter for that purpose.
Drugs Action depute manager Luan Grugeon said she was not surprised at the move towards the city centre. “Since the zone disappeared women are working in a much wider area. In terms of our services, we are now finding it hard to find women and that is a concern for us. We are concerned about their safety and their access to services.”
Labour MP for Aberdeen South Anne Begg said: “The problem is when it spreads to an area where people are not expecting it. That’s when people are getting offended. It is a lot more difficult now.”
Aberdeen Community Safety Partnership chairman Councillor Martin Greig said they would continue to review the situation: “I am sure Grampian Police will do their best to respond to complaints raised in this very difficult situation.
“There has been a long history of complaints of that kind towards the city centre.”
During the patrol, officers also found three people in possession of drugs.