The home secretary has called for a cultural change in the way the country deals with prostitution.

David Blunkett told the Coalition for the Removal of Pimping conference in Leeds on Friday that attitudes need to be shifted to help victims break out of a violent circle of abuse.

"We live in a world of mass communication where access to degrading material is easily available and where our common values can be undermined by the behaviour of a minority," he said.

"We now face the reality of the sub-world of degradation and exploitation that many women and girls face through the use of pimps to promote and control prostitution.

"Victims of prostitution are often trapped in a violent circle that is tied up with organised crime, domestic violence, drug abuse, exploitation and infection.

"From anti-social behaviour to mafia-style criminality, our communities are bedevilled by the terrible trade."

Too many people are embarrassed or afraid to air their views on the subject, Blunkett believes.

"Prostitution and the issues surrounding it are difficult to talk about openly and are not talked about enough. I want to open up the debate," he said.

"We need to address the problems that contribute to the chaotic lives that victims of prostitution often lead in order to create safer neighbourhoods and an escape route for those trapped by vice."

Initiatives such as the Sexual Offences Bill are at the front of a government bid to crack down on abuses and introduce new offences, the home secretary claimed.

But beyond use of the law, more must be done at ground level and in public debate to raise awareness of prostitution and reach out to sufferers, Blunkett contends.

"We also need a cultural change that is not just focused on legislation but on service provision," he concluded.