RESIDENTS of inner city Belfast who say that the area they live in is plagued with kerb crawlers will welcome plans to outlaw such behaviour, it was claimed last night.

Local politicians have responded positively after Policing Minister Paul Goggins told the Commons Northern Ireland Grand Committee he plans to introduce legislation next year to outlaw the practice of men cruising the streets looking for prostitutes.

Former Lord Mayor, the SDLP's Pat McCarthy, whose council ward represents the area, said: "Kerb crawling is an absolute plague for residential areas and I am quite sure that it even deters some business investment.

"A ban will mean that people will have the right to seek proper protection from the police and ensure that their community functions as they want it to."

Mr McCarthy said he had been a long-term campaigner for such a law.

"Two years ago I organised public meetings on the issue," he said.

"I also used my time as Lord Mayor of Belfast to highlight the problems associated with drivers cruising the streets looking for prostitutes, particularly in the market area adjoining the city centre.

"Life is very difficult for people in this area including families with children.

"Their frustration was all the greater because despite all the best efforts of the police their hands were tied by the lack of suitable legislation."

After Mr Goggins disclosed details to a Commons Grand Committee, the Northern Ireland Office confirmed that details would be released before Christmas.

A spokeswoman said: "Draft legislation containing proposed new offences on kerb crawling and soliciting will be published before the end of the year."

The proposals will form part of the Sexual Offences Order which will go out for further public consultation.

The authorities expect to have the laws in place by next spring.

Former UUP MLA Esmond Birnie said it was a "legal anomaly and anachronism" that Northern Ireland had no legislation outlawing kerb crawling.

Mr Birnie, who also campaigned for years to prevent the growth of the vice industry in Northern Ireland, questioned whether Ulster would be following England in legislating to permit so-called "mini-brothels".

Last night when a spokesman for the NIO was asked if the new legislation would legalise "mini-brothels" which had been proposed in consultation, she said: "In July 2006 the Government published a policy consultation on reforming the law on sexual offences.

"The views expressed following that consultation have been considered and draft legislation will be published before the end of the year."

Asked about the policy of legalising "mini-brothels" in the UK, a Home Office spokesman said: "The proposal to amend the definition of a brothel to enable two or three women to work from a private premises in order to increase their safety remains an important part of the Government's Prostitution Strategy, although initial work on implementation has focused very much on street-based sex markets and the commercial sexual exploitation of children and those who have been trafficked.

"Concerns have been raised about the potential impact of such a change and so we intend to consult further to ensure that the proposal would achieve our objectives of increasing safety, without inadvertently causing more difficulties, either for enforcement agencies, the women involved or for their neighbours."