We are regularly faced with pro-prostitution campaigners who believe that the zone must be working and the residents are just unreasonable.
So on Friday 7th September 2018 we compiled a few notes from just 24 hours in Holbeck.
Midnight: Resident report into Save Our Beeston & Holbeck group. SOE admin contacted the resident to get more details.
Calum and his friend Dave finished work late at a club in the city centre and were walking home near the managed zone around midnight when they heard a woman’s voice calling for help…
“We took a detour to a street in the direction where the calls were coming from. We saw a man trying to strangle a woman. He released her as soon as we approached and she ran towards us. The arguments continued. She’s a sex worker and he’s the punter. The fight was about condoms. He wanted her to have sex without a condom and was offering her extra money but she refused. She had said she would only do it if he wore a condom and he became angry then tried to strangle her. We told him off and threatened to call the Police. He skulked back to his car. Dave was stood with the woman on the pavement reassuring her, he said we’d walk her home. I was watching them. The punter started the car engine and drove at them, mounting the pavement. He hit Dave and Dave flew across the bonnet of the car then fell off onto the road. He missed the woman. After that the punter drove at me and tried to run me down but I dodged him. He drove off and we called the Police.”
Save Our Eyes issued this appeal for info
“Members we need your help to identify a punters car seen in the zone last night. The punter ran over a local resident who went to help a prostituted woman who was being attacked near Dunelm.
The witness believes the reg starts with YF11. It’s a Ford Fiesta 5 door, black, new shape.
Punter is described as approx 5ft 6in, stocky, black hair & black goatee beard.”
12.30am resident report to Save Our Eyes
Resident posts video from her CCTV camera showing prostitute & punter coming out of children’s play area and driving off in punters car.
3am Beeston resident report to Save Our Eyes
“Two prostitutes soliciting outside my house on Malvern Road.” (Malvern Road is in Beeston and is some way from the zone.)
11am Holbeck resident report to Save Our Eyes
photo of used condom left on pavement outside her house at Gaitskell Walk. (This street is outside the managed zone.)
1pm Holbeck specialist cleansing team report that they have attended in response to the report below (made yesterday) and collected a large amount of used condoms, needles and drug litter.
SOE committee member: “The guys from Sweet St Car Park by Halfords just called us to say they’re having increased sex and drug waste strewn across their land and by public footpaths. I just called in to see and there’s unsheathed needles everywhere across the grassland and many areas being used by prostitutes and drug addicts! Holbeck Lcc Cleansing is it you guys for this job, it’s a lot to contend with or should I call council separately?? Awful! X”
4pm Holbeck resident report to Save Our Eyes
My 12 year old daughter walking home from school rang me to tell me she’s just seen a lady being raped! 2 men had pinned her up against the wall between Holbeck cemetery and Beggars Hill Park and one was pulling off her knickers as she screamed. My daughter ran home and I’ve called 999. She is very upset and vague on description but one male had a white t shirt and the other black tracksuit bottoms. The lady had quite long brown hair and a patterned top.
Her dad says, “A couple of hours later I was checking to see if she’s OK and she said “nah I’m fine.” I said “It must have been quite an upsetting thing?” and she replied “but it happens round here all the time.” My 12 year old thinks this is normal.”
Her mum is very angry. “Do you know how horrible it is to have your 12 year old daughter ring you panicking because of seeing this! This area used to be nice – it was somewhere I was proud to live. Now it’s been destroyed!”
Police attended the girls home and interviewed her with her parents. The location of this incident was outside the zone in a residential area near a childrens playground.
5pm Holbeck resident report to Save Our Eyes
Prostitute on Bridge Road near arches. Reported to Police.
6pm Holbeck resident report to Save Our Eyes for LCC Cleansing team
Used discarded condom left outside her house, photo attached
9.00pm Holbeck resident report to Save Our Eyes
“Just phoned the Police to report 2 prostitutes behind Sewells and the response I got from PCSO was that he was on his dinner and would go when he is finished.”
9.45pm Holbeck resident report to Save Our Eyes
“Prostitute on St Matthews street. Hair tied up. Long cardigan, 3 Quarter length trousers. Reported to Police”
(St Matthews Street is not in the zone, it is a residential area)
10pm Holbeck resident report to Save Our Eyes
“Think they’re at it again near my house. Man and woman got out of a yellow transit van, reg no. FG03 NNY. Went round and got in sliding doors at the side. Been in there together 10 minutes now.”
Our Mission:
Save Our Eyes campaigns for the rights of all Leeds residents whose lives are blighted by the “managed approach to prostitution” which is currently located in the Holbeck area and spreading to other parts of the city.
We aim to become a community where residents are not subjected to daily harassment from kerb crawlers, prostituted women, danger from discarded condoms, needles and sex industry litter.
We aim to see prostituted women freed from the grips of a drug addiction that was created to enslave them. We recognise that the women who are prostituted would rather lead different lives and we support their wishes to exit the sex industry.
Both sides in this dispute want the same outcome: a peaceful life free from prostitution and abuse.
A really well put together, but shocking piece of journalism, true & real. If possible, given time and resources, a dirt diary like this should be published on your facebook page with the availability to share!
Feel free to share this post as much as you like!
There is a third party in this – the punters – the men who roam the area looking for women. And there is another group of men – the pimps. Only if these men are subject to the criminal justice system will prostitution be ended in Holbeck. Are the West Yorkshire Police just avoiding their legal responsibilities?
Yes, the punters are a huge problem, both in cars and on foot. They roam all across the area and do not keep to any zone boundaries. A few months ago a 10 year old girl was asked for sex while waiting with her granny at the bus stop. He offered to give her gran £10 for her.
We all know its a case of Not being able to control it so make it legal. I was reading the other day how crimes and drug offences had dropped in other areas known for prostitution since they have all come to Holbeck.
That doesn’t surprise us at all! The zone acts like a magnet bringing trouble into the area. It’s nonsense they can’t stop it though. Check out what they did in Ipswich…https://youtu.be/yesikykphnk?list=PLuDrdq5l-Rn_770ZYzwm-UUUYY8_7jVyk
The so called Managed Approach in Holbeck has been a disaster from the start.I have lived in Holbeck over 40 yrs and I know first hand that there were some prostitutes in the area,but they were discreet,and they didn’t walk around drugged and drunk,or leave sex debris like used condoms,used needles,and other sex debris.There are five so called rules for the zone and 24/7 they are broken.I was at the demo on Friday when Hilary Benn was doing his Surgery,I asked him why he and his Labour Counsellors chose Holbeck for the Zone why not where they live,typical MP no answer.Someone asked him if he would like to open his door on a morning and see used condoms used needles in his doorway,he said no,so why is he forcing us to live this way,he should have a taste of his own medicine and his councillor Muppets,as they don’t answer our questions either.His first concern should be the children and what they see on a daily basis,on there way to school,In the Park and playing area there’s all the sex debris in full view,so now the park is a no go area for them.The Red Light Zone has brought woman from all over,there are Rapists,Unsavoury characters,and pimps driving around the residential area.Did Hilary Benn and his Cronies not think of the consequences when they were planning their not working Disaster.How it would affect the residents and especially the Children as the primary school is inside the residential area.They were only interested at being the first in England to open this Zone.Shame on them all,for the kids sake alone they should close the Un-Managed Approach now as they are forcing the kids to see all the sex debris constantly.In my opinion Hilary Benn has no Morals if he lets this to continue,his priority should be Save The Children from this Nightmare we were forced into.
Forgot to ask in my previous comment,is it morally legal to have children subjected to seeing sex debris every day.Anyone let me know Regards