TACKLING prostitution in Broadgreen will be the main topic of conversation during a meeting to tackle the seedy side of Manchester Road.

The forum was set up after the Adver reported how residents had complained that prostitution was still a problem in their area, despite a police message to the contrary following an operation to clamp down on kerb crawlers.

Police are now urging all members of the community to attend the meeting so they can share their views with the agencies charged with dealing with the issue.

During the meeting the neighbourhood policing team will ask those that attend a number of questions to find out more about how people’s daily lives and community spirit are affected by prostitution – and how the police can improve their efforts to eradicate the problem for good.

Paul Howlett, Chief Superintendent of Swindon Police, said it was important that as many people as possible to turn up if the police were to maximise their efforts.

He said: “Last year I attended a community meeting in Broadgreen and heard first hand of the distress caused to local residents by the problem of the street sex trade.

“After that meeting, working with partners in the Community Safety Partnership, police have implemented a plan to reduce and eradicate where we can these problems.

“We have already achieved some successes but there is still more to be done.

“The dialogue with local residents is of huge importance in understanding the problem and determining our successes.”

PC Sophia McIntyre, Swindon police’s vice liaison officer, said police will make available a touch screen survey to attendees to find out their thoughts and views about prostitution.

She said: “It’s a very diverse community sometimes it makes it tougher to engage, but we would really like to attract everyone.

“We would like to see as many views as possible, on prostitution, but also on other things going on in the community.”

The meeting, which has been organised by Karen Leakey, the chairwoman of the Broadgreen Community Council, will take pace next Saturday at 10am in the Broad Green Community Centre, Salisbury Street.