KERB crawlers face being banned from driving in a ground-breaking move to tackle Blackburn's prostitution problem.

Police are poised to use existing legislation, which allows magistrates to revoke driving licences if a car is being used to commit crime.

In what would be a national test case, they would have to prove in court that the powers can be applied to kerb crawlers.

But Neville Cordingly, chair of the magistrates bench for Blackburn, Darwen and the Ribble Valley, today said he would be urging his colleagues to support the move.

Courts would decide on the length of bans but police are hoping they would be for at least six months and up to a year.

The proposal is one of a raft of tough measures to be introduced after police admitted prostitution problems had escalated in the past two months after cash for police overtime ran out.

They will include naming and shaming all those caught kerb crawling by releasing their pictures to the media -- and sending out community beat managers to patrol prostitution hotspots, such as Bank Top.

Police are also planning to use number plate reading technology to monitor kerb crawlers and a new computer system allowing intelligence on prostitutes to be built up.

Residents and shopkeepers have complained about an increase in prostitution around Bank Top and said girls were working in the Whalley Banks section of King Street from 4pm, near St Wilfrid's School.

Retired police inspector Harry Bretherton, from Blackburn, also hit out at the force and said that "disgraceful" situation would not have been allowed to happen in his day.

There were claims Blackburn's image was being tarnished because prostitutes were working near the £250,000 King Street gateway designed to welcome people to town.

Inspector Phil Davies said: "This may appear very hard-line but we have to take a tough stance as the girls are only working because of the demand. Men have to realise there are consequences of their actions."

A bid has been submitted to put government funding back in place.

To revoke driving licences, police would have to apply to magistrates under the Powers of Criminal Courts Sentencing Act 2000.

Mr Cordingly added: "It would be down to the bench of the day but I support wholeheartedly revoking the licence of a kerb crawler.

"We tend to come down hard on the kerb crawlers as opposed to the prostitutes themselves and that has been reflected in the sentences handed out."ution in Blackburn as with every town."