Harman to tackle escort adverts

The government is to look at taking action on the advertising of escort services in local newspapers.

Minister for women Harriet Harman said on Sunday that she has requested a meeting with the Newspaper Society trade body to discuss ways of stopping the practice, which she says is fuelling human trafficking.

She told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that the "ugly" adverts were published in some local newspapers alongside those for skip hire and lost pets.

"The Newspaper Society and us need to sit down together and discuss whether this is acceptable in local newspapers, that girls are for sale," she said.

"You see 'girls for sale - girls from Europe, from Africa, from Thailand, fresh girls every week, 18 to 25'," she added.

"What sort of message does this send in the 21st century? We do know that there is a big problem of people trafficking."