A POLICE chief has announced plans to wreck Christmas for kerb-crawlers.

A police crackdown on Middlesbrough's red light areas, called Operation Duet, was launched at the weekend.

The operation involves 16 officers, backed up by unmarked police vehicles.

It is under the overall charge of Superintendent Graham Strange, who said: "My message is 'Don't come to Middlesbrough seeking the services of prostitutes: men are not welcome for those purposes'.

"They cause harassment, alarm and distress to residents, and criminal activity such as drug abuse, child abuse and other serious offences, such as assault, robbery, abduction and rape. That is why we consider this a serious problem.''

Supt Strange said: "Those reported after this week's operation will appear in court in December - just before Christmas. There is never a good time to appear in court, but just before Christmas is a terrible time, with it being a time for families, if these men have a wife and children."

He dismissed recent suggestion for the establishment of a controlled red light area in Middlesbrough.

"Middlesbrough does not have a tolerance zone. There wont be one. We looked at the possibility. At this moment we have no intention to create a tolerance zone," he said.

"My view is it is not possible to manage and control. Where should it be? On whose doorstep? With a tolerance zone, would you allow young people to solicit drug abuse and child abuse? I would say it's a non-starter."

Anti-social behavioural orders will be used against prostitutes working in residential areas of the town; women who do not live in Middlesbrough, who are not being coerced into vice and who have refused offers of help such as drugs counselling and an exit strategy.

The "name and shame days", planned with the co-operation of the courts before Christmas, have been found to work.

About 250 men have been prosecuted in a blaze of publicity over the past 18 months and very few have been caught a second time.

As many as 150 prostitutes are believed to be working the streets of Middlesbrough. Most of their customers come from outside Teesside