A leading charity working with women involved in prostitution has said convictions for the crime should be expunged after a few years to allow women gain access to employment.
Kathleen Fahy, Director of the Ruhama charity, said many women who want to leave prostitution find it difficult to do so because of previous convictions.
The charity also said the authorities will have to address the fact that most women involved in prostitution today no longer 'work in the streets', and as a result are becoming more invisible and harder to help.