A couple is being tormented by people having sex on their street.
Jackie and Michael Scott, 56 and 77 respectively, claimed they hear the “screams” and lewd acts going on at all hours close to their home in the Holbeck area of Leeds.
The pair said they're woken up late at night in the area that used to be a legal red-light zone for prostitutes to carry out sex work.
The "Managed Approach" permitted prostitution between certain hours on allocated streets, but it was controversially scrapped by Leeds City Council in 2020 after six years.
The Scotts said male and female sex workers and kerb crawlers now pervade the residential streets.
Michael, a retired security guard, said: “I think it’s absolutely disgusting. The council closed the Managed Approach but now the prostitutes are coming into the residential areas."
The 77-year-old said he was recently woken up by a prostitute and her punter who were "conducting business" directly outside his front door.
He shouted at both of them to “move on” and they went around the corner, to the next street, and continued their business there.
Michael said: “That’s what’s happening now, they don’t give a damn.”
Jackie spoke about a recent unnerving incident she heard at 3.15am.
She said she heard a prostitute slamming the car door and shouting at her punter: “No, not b****y likely!”
The punter in the car then asked: “What about next week?”
“No, don’t bother, never! I’m never going to go with you ever again. F*** off!” screamed back the young woman.
Jackie said she’s regularly woken up by the noise of the prostitutes. “You can hear what’s going on,” she added.
She wanted police to take tougher action.
Jackie said: “I suffer with mental health and I’ve got other problems wrong with me.
“A copper said to me that some of them were homeless - I’ve been there as well!
But Jackie doesn’t want the Managed Approach to return.
She said: “What they should do is find somewhere safe for them off the streets, like a warehouse and put beds there. Let them take the punters there.”
A Leeds city council spokesperson said it has seen a "positive trajectory” in its response to sex-work and anti-social behaviour.
The local authority made assurances that it remained focussed on “tackling community concerns” and safeguarding those involved in sex work.
The council encouraged residents to make reports to the dedicated phone line and has said it works in partnership with West Yorkshire Police .
The council spokeswoman said: “The dedicated police team work in close partnership with other services, including the Safer Leeds anti-social behaviour team, sharing intelligence which guides our on-street patrolling and joint operations.
"Our intelligence led approach is robust and intended to mitigate the risk to any person present in the area, including sex workers. In addition, the police and anti-social behaviour team take criminal and civil enquiries through to the courts, to secure injunctions to remove people who may fall into such a category.”
