CYBER 'police' have closed down a sex-for-sale e-mail operation in the North-East.

Engineers with Internet providers ntl, on Teesside, today pulled the plug on a red light guide to Middlesbrough.

The vice-promoter who uses the pseudonym 'Bikerman' compiles the web site Boro Girls' which lists prostitutes telephone numbers, sex services and charges - and performance reviews.

'Bikerman' invited prostitute's clients to send him e-mail reports on their encounters with vice girls advertised on the website, what the girls are prepared to do and a value for money rating.

Coun Ken Walker, leader of Middlesbrough Council last night called for criminal charges to be brought against the creators of the web site.

He said: "It is difficult to think of anything more sick or irresponsible than this site."

Cleveland Police said: "We are aware of the web site and closely monitor it. There may not be anything strictly illegal in developing such a site or creating a site, but our main concern is it may be putting girls in danger."

Following a call from The Northern Echo, ntl blocked e-mail to the site, after finding it breached the company's user policy in publishing offensive, abusive and obscene material.

A spokeswoman said: " That e-mail address has now been stopped and we will be contacting the user to tell him he is in breach of our user policy."

Ntl engineers have started a hunt to trace the authors of the actual Boro Girls website, which is not hosted via ntlworld, to ask them to remove it.

Bikerman's cheeky advice to potential clients, is to leave their cars parked on main roads because of rampant auto crime on the town's estates.

Barnardos, which is working with child and teenage prostitutes in Middlesbrough, said it was concerned about prostitution offered over the Internet.

New powers will mean that from October 1 Cleveland Police will be able to arrest kerb crawlers, detain and interview them at police stations and to search premises without a warrant.

Cleveland Police are also pressing local MPs to call for legislation which will include penalty points on punters' driving licences and - in persistent cases - confiscation of their cars.