POLICE are celebrating the success of a campaign to crack down on kerb crawling.

Since Operation Duet was launched earlier this month to issue offenders with court summonses, 11 have been served on men and 20 on women who were arrested for soliciting on Teesside.

Councillor Ken Walker, the chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, said the summonses should serve as a powerful warning to others.

He said: "As a local councillor representing one of the areas worst affected by this problem, I know that this firm and effective action by the police is exactly what local people want to see."

"The men who were arrested last weekend are likely to come before the court towards the end of November.

"Of course, anyone caught as a result of Operation Duet over the next few weeks could be appearing just before Christmas - a prospect which I cannot imagine they would relish."

Coun Walker urged everyone affected by the problem of prostitution to work with the police in combating it.

He said: "What is important is that all the agencies and local people work together to make it clear to everyone involved - prostitutes and kerb crawlers alike - that we are united in hammering home the message that we are no longer prepared to have them causing distress and misery to law-abiding communities.