IN response to Mr J Pilkington advocating that prostitutes should be helped rather than hounded (Letters, September 19), while I agreed entirely in principle, I feel it necessary to expose some of the underlying values inherent in his argument.

Firstly, let us apply a basic law of economics to the analysis of the 'age-old profession'. Surely, if there was no demand for these services, there would be no need for women to supply them.

While I accept that for a tiny minority of men, buying sexual services is the only way of having intimate contact with a woman, I live in the 'red light' area and have seen (and been kerb-crawled by) some of the customers. The majority appear to be ordinary men, driving family saloons.

Secondly, the idea that prostitution saves women and children from rape and sexual assault is buying into the ridiculous, but an unfortunately widely-held myth that men have no control over their sexual urges.

Rape and sexual assault are crimes of power and control, not sexual gratification (indeed, many prostitutes are victims of rape and serious assault).

Prostitution perpetuates the idea that women are simply 'chattels,' to be exploited at will. One only needs to look at the number of men pimping these women for a perfect example of this concept. Legalising brothels might contain the problem of street prostitution and its attendant difficulties of drug misuse, disease and violence. It would not, however, address the social values placed upon women that encourage it to thrive.

Prostitution will continue for as long as people demand these services. Perhaps, it is time that these men look at the values and beliefs they hold about women and sex, hopefully taking responsibility for their behaviour and exercising more self-control.

Before the inevitable howls of outrage, I am no man-hating feminist, merely a woman who lives among these dealings and who views them from a woman's perspective. It is perhaps interesting to note that during the recent 'clean-up' 15 women were arrested but no men! It would appear that prostitution is a man's world.

COLETTE EATON, Blackburn (Full address received).

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