THE number of men being arrested for kerb crawling has plunged over the past four years.

During 2006 Dorset police arrested 55 men for kerb crawling but a Freedom of Information request revealed in 2009 it was only eight.

The drop has been seen as a sign of success in the battle against street prostitution.

The disappearance of three women in Bradford has highlighted the problem and the area with the biggest problem in Dorset is Boscombe.

“There is a problem, but whereas before it was premier league, now it’s division two-sized,” said Cllr Michael Filer.

His ward, East Cliff and Springbourne, covers the affected area. He said it used to be possible to see 10 girls working at once and Derby Road residents voted to change the street name to Gardens View to get away from the stigma.

Ray Bright, from the Ashleigh Hotel, formed the group Residents Against Prostitutes in 2002 because he was so concerned.

He insisted the problem is still as bad as ever and that the police do not run as many operations as they did in 2006.

“If you come out any evening you will see half a dozen girls,” said Mr Bright.

Inspector Ashley Adams of Boscombe Police said there were still ongoing operations, often covert, which suits some residents who think high visibility patrols give off the wrong image.

He said: “What’s important is that there has been no increase in reports about prostitution. There is a reduced number of women habitually involved.”

The police now try and get kerb crawlers banned from the area and they are about to start re-using a kerb crawler education course in Southampton.

Boscombe West councillor Lisa Northover, who lives in the red light district, said there had been a definite drop in anti-social behaviour.

The Dorset Working Women’s Project said there had been a slight decrease in girls seeking help last year compared with previous years.