THE North-East's most notorious red light district has seen a drop in the number of vice girls working the streets in the past year.

Charity workers say it has been most noticeable in the number of teenage prostitutes on the streets of Middlesbrough.

The groundbreaking project, Safely Exiting Children Off the Streets (Secos), has had outreach workers visiting vice girls for the past few years to offer them a way out of the sex trade.

Last year, Barnado's, the charity behind the project, secured a secret drop-in centre where the girls can talk to helpers. Now a change of tack has helped cut the level of prostitution on Teesside - and the charity intends taking the advice sessions on to the streets in a van.

"It's going out to the street, rather than expecting young people to turn up at buildings," said Secos worker Wendy Shepherd.

Task force vice-chairman Inspector Gary Gamesby said: "We have not won the war, but one battle. We have seen a real change in the under-18s, a reduction, and it is a fantastic result."

He is sounding out the Crown Prosecuting Service in discussions next week, on plans to confiscate kerb crawlers' cars if the owners are convicted of committing an offence.

While fewer local men are picking up vice girls on the street, customers are travelling to Middlesbrough from areas such as the Scottish borders, London and Manchester.

Cleveland Police plan to seek a nationwide campaign to end the trade.

With fewer young teenagers on the streets, the task force has now employed a special worker to target 18 to 30-year-old prostitutes.

But Ms Shepherd said : "We have to remain vigilant."

Pensioner Henry Robinson, who handed a 1,000-signature petition to Middlesbrough Council, in 1998, urging action on prostitution, said: "There has been a reduction."