PROSTITUTES in Huddersfield will not be deterred from walking the streets despite the series of killings in Bradford.

Julia Plaine, project co-ordinator of Huddersfield’s SWEET project (Sex Worker Empowerment, Education and Training) said an estimated 300 women were working in the sex trade in Kirklees at any one time.

And she said there are strong links between women working as prostitutes in Bradford and Huddersfield. One of the victims, Shelley Armitage, had been working in Huddersfield, but vanished from a Bradford street last month and is now thought to be dead although her body has not been found.

Julia said historically there has been a link between sex work in Huddersfield and Bradford but she could not comment on any individual cases.

“Huddersfield women can go over to Bradford but it’s usually the other way round,’’ she said.

“The main reason is probably its close proximity and travel links.”

Julia’s team speaks to some 80 women a month, supporting those who want to leave the sex trade and promoting safer working practices to those who continue to earn money through sex.

She said local prostitutes are well aware of the Bradford killings, but it would probably not deter them from going out to work.

“They are very aware because of the media about what’s going on,’’ she said.

“However, these women have very strong push factors and there aren’t any other choices to them.

“They might be in positions of poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, mental illness or in abusive relationships.”

Julia said prostitutes working on the streets were particularly vulnerable to violence, rape and abuse compared with those working in brothels and saunas.

She said vice girls trying not to get arrested by police might not assess the risks or negotiate with the client fully before getting into his car.

She explained: “There’s often a cat and mouse type situation with the sex worker trying to escape arrest from the police.

“They might not assess whether the client has been drinking alcohol or whether the car has central locking or where they are heading.

“They will just quickly get into the car and go off without negotiating.

“They might end up in a car where he’s driving and in control and there’s central locking.”

Julia said she and her team would continue to tell sex workers in the area to be vigilant.

She said: “We always warn them to be vigilant and report any dodgy punters.

“If men in Kirklees think they can get away with abusing sex workers – no, they can’t.

“In Kirklees we work with the police and with the council.

“We will look at sharing information around coercion, pimping and abuse and, if we need to, we will press charges.”

According to statistics gathered by The SWEET Project, one third of sex workers in Huddersfield have a heroin or crack cocaine habit which they fund through prostitution.

A third of workers are migrants from Eastern Europe.