Ilford red light district given makeover

Redbridge Council workers were pruning in force last week in the notorious area off Ilford Lane, Ilford, in an attempt to drive away ­persistant prostitutes and curb-crawlers.

Police arrested two women last week. Both appeared before ­Redbridge Magistrates last ­Friday charged with soliciting for the purposes of prostitution.

Councillors in the Loxford Ward have been campaigning tirelessly since the beginning of the year to drive away ­­curb-crawlers who they say represent the main problem.

Cllr Filly Maravala said it was the demand from men that represented the true problem.

“There are so many faiths in Ilford, I don’t know how ­religious men can visit prositutes and then attend church or a mosque.

“The area is now known as the red light-district of east London.

“Parents are having to walk their children to school past used condoms. It’s disgusting.”

The home of two prostitutes operating in the area has been identified, police say, but they can only act when they have ­evidence the home is being used for the sex trade. Redbridge Police Inspector David Brewster said: “We’ve told the landlord that crime is paying his rent, and asked him to look into his ­conscience.”

Extra police are being drafted in to clampdown on the sex trade in the Cecil Road area nightly.

Police say cameras intended to catch fly-tippers will be used as evidence to ­convict women.

Sargeant Douglas Fyfe, of the the Safer Neighbourhoods team, said: “If we manage to reduce supply and demand by issuing anti-social behaviour orders and putting in extra lighting to deter the problem we’re confident we can crack this.”