PROSTITUTES plying their trade in one of Preston's most notorious areas, are living in a hostel owned by a church-based group, according to nearby residents.

The hostel, on Walton's Parade, off Fishergate Hill, is home to a number of girls who, say residents, have blighted the area in recent months.

Hundreds of residents from across the Broadgate and Fishergate Hill areas of town attended a public meeting on Monday evening (February 19) to discuss the problems of prostitution and drug dealing in the area.

Attended by senior police officers and chaired by ward councillor Elaine Abbot, residents at the meeting at St Stephen's school, South Meadow Lane, expressed their disillusionment with the police and council regarding the problems in Broadgate.

A number of residents told the 200-strong audience that they have witnessed gangs openly dealing drugs on street corners, and teenage girls soliciting outside local shops. The police insisted that they were doing everything in their power to put a stop to the problems in Broadgate -- in particular targeting a number of hostels thought to house the minority of troublemakers.

Inspector Dawn Copley told residents that the police "need your help" in making Broadgate a safer place.

Mike Bertram, from Merryweather Homes, the hostel which is accused by residents of housing a number of prostitutes, categorically denied that prostitutes were being housed by the church group -- affiliated to the Methodist church on Lune Street.

He said: "We work very hard with the police in relation to prostitution and drug dealing.

"If we had any information which substantiated these claims we would certainly take the matter very seriously."