A NEW outreach worker will be appointed to help tackle Bos-combe’s sex trade, the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner has announced.

Martyn Underhill said the issue was a topic of major interest at his first Boscombe PCC forum last week, where residents voiced their concerns to him and voluntary PCC advocate Helene Bowman-Brown over the vulnerability of the area’s on-street prostitutes.

While praising the continuing work of Dorset Police through Operation Planet, Mr Underhill said he hoped the new outreach worker would be better able to link up sex workers with app-ropriate agencies.

“A key area of my work to date has been on community issues in Boscombe,” he said.

“There are around 35 women who are involved in the on-street sex trade in Boscombe.

“Both the community and I would like to see that number red-uced, but it is important that agencies and the police work together to recognise their needs, which are complicated and not quick to solve.

“I hope that the new outreach worker role will be able to link agencies together, and work with the women to offer the help, advice, support and guidance that they need.

“On-street sex workers aren’t offenders, they are victims, casualties of either awful life experiences, addictions or both.”

He added: “I would also like to recognise Dorset Police, and our partners, for their work to date on Operation Planet which is placing a huge focus on the sex worker issue in Boscombe.

“Helene and I will continue to monitor the situation in Boscombe, and will work hard with the force and partners to solve the community issues that exist.”

Other issues which came up at the Boscombe meeting, attended by some 50 residents, were concerns over homelessness and anti-social behaviour.

Operation Planet, which replaced Dorset Police’s vice unit, helped 12 working women escape on-street prostitution in Boscombe over the second half of 2012.

Officers also focused on tackling kerb-crawlers, with around 150 arrested over the same time period and sent on rehabilitation courses.