New prostitution laws will be welcomed but could lead to greater confusion in Medway’s red-light district, councillors claim.

Under proposed legislation a man who knowingly pays for sex with a woman who has been trafficked or is under the control of a pimp could face a charge of rape.

Cllr Craig Mackinlay (Con) fears the laws could force the illegal side of the industry further underground, putting girls at greater risk.

Medway’s redlight district is centred on the New Road area of Chatham, part of River Ward, which the councillor represents.

He said: “At the heart of Medway prostitution is the drugs trade with up to 95 per cent of the 120 known street prostitutes addicted to Class A drugs.

“Often there’s a dealer not far behind forcing her further into the sex trade to support her drug debts.

“Under the new laws, the prostitute would be deemed controlled and the punter could face serious charges including rape.

“The new law would put the onus on the punter to find out whether the girl is controlled which is far from easy in practice, with no answers from the Home Office as to how this could be achieved.”

Cllr Mackinlay, does however, support calls for prosecuting first-time kerb crawlers. At present, the police can only prosecute persistent offenders.

He said: “Residents have long advocated greater powers against kerb crawlers on the simple premise that if you get rid of the user, you get rid of the problem.

"These new laws, with fines up to £1,000 for first-time kerb crawlers, if properly enforced, could bring welcome relief.”