NORTH West MEP Chris Davies has called for brothels to be legalised in the wake of new regulations to make kerb crawling an arrestable offence.

The Liberal Democrat Euro MP said that it was time Britain "grew up" and followed the example of the Dutch government which made them legal last October.

He accused Home Secretary Jack Straw of "gesture politics" with his criminal bill attacking kerb crawling, but not tackling the real problem of prostitution.

He said a policy of legalising, controlling and taxing brothels would help curb the exploitation of prostitutes, protect minors, and improve public health.

Mr Davies said that a similar law in Britain would give councils the right to issue licences, designate zones where brothels could operate, and make rules on hygiene, fire safety and working conditions.

"Prostitution is never going to go away and it is no use pretending that it will. It's time we stopped sweeping these issues under the carpet and took a grown-up attitude in Britain as they have in the Netherlands," he said.

"The first priority must be to protect vulnerable women from the pimps and drug dealers. Existing policy fails hopelessly to do this."

But Mr Straw rejected the call, saying: "I have no proposals to legalise brothels. I don't think it would improve things and I don't agree with it."