ONE of the North-East's most prolific prostitutes could be barred from working the streets in a landmark legal case for the region.

Police and council officials are jointly applying for an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) against 33-year-old Bernadette Ann Isherwood.

The move is part of Cleveland Police force's get tough policy on the vice trade in Middlesbrough, and the first time an ASBO has been served on a local prostitute.

If the application is successful, police plan to use the orders against a hit list of the region's most notorious vice girls.

Although a small number of ASBOs have been imposed on prostitutes in other parts of the country, this would be the first time the measure has been used in the North-East.

Teesside Magistrates Court heard yesterday how Miss Isherwood boldly walks up to men in the street and propositions them. She also switches her appearance by wearing different wigs.

District Judge James Prowse will decide later today whether to grant the order that will ban Miss Isherwood from entering Middlesbrough's red light area and other parts of the town.

The move is the result of three years' planning and an unprecedented joint approach by Cleveland Police and Middlesbrough Council.

Joy Nolan, community safety manager with the council, said: "The Prostitution Task Group considered the most prolific sex workers and Bernadette was seen as the most prolific."

Ms Nolan told the judge how several agencies had offered to help Miss Isherwood - a drug addict - to give up her life of vice. But all efforts to help her had failed.

"Unfortunately, there was no engagement at all," Ms Nolan told the court.

Senior street warden Peter Riley said in evidence: "As people walk past she would walk up to the men and speak to them. What we would do is speak to the men and ask what she said.

"She is visibly looking at cars as they come past. Often she changes her hairstyle; she wears different wigs."

Mr Riley added: "I have seen her on numerous occasions on Borough Road, Marton Road, Newlands Road and Southfield Road."

Mohammed Bashir, an ex-chairman of the Middlesbrough Mosque, said Miss Isherwood regularly solicited outside his house.

"She is one of the regular ones," he said. "I have asked her on many occasions to move. My children have even thrown eggs at her, to move her away"

Police Sergeant Caroline Walls said she had arrested Ms Isherwood on "numerous occasions".

Miss Isherwood of Warren Street, Middlesbrough, failed to turn up for the first day of the two-day hearing yesterday but was represented by a barrister, Elizabeth Mendoza.

The prosecution is being brought by Cleveland Police, who successfully applied to have a persistent kerb crawler banned from an area of the Teesside town two years ago.

Police launched their get tough policy in red light areas in response to complaints. One local firm moved from Middlesbrough to North Yorkshire because of the problem.

Inspector Gary Gamesby, head of Middlesbrough Operational Support Unit, said last month: "Moves to secure anti-social behaviour orders against persistent prostitutes are well advanced."

If their application before Judge Prowse is successful, Miss Isherwood will become the first prostitute to be served with an ASBO in Middlesbrough, which could see her banned from certain streets for two years.

Cross examined by Miss Mendoza, most witnesses failed to identify Miss Isherwood by name but said prostitution in general was a growing problem in the town.