The Evening Star in Ipswich has launched an initiative to "name and shame" kerbcrawlers and protect vulnerable sex workers in the city.
The move was prompted by the death of five Ipswich prostitutes whose bodies were discovered in separate rural areas outside the town in December, attracting huge interest from British and foreign media. They were Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24 and Annette Nicholls, 29.
Suffolk Police are now actively targeting kerbcrawlers and Evening Star editor Nigel Pickover is hoping his paper's campaign can help stop the problem.
He said: "When you stand before a magistrate and are found guilty of your crime, our reporters will be there to report every detail.
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"And when you emerge from court surrounded by the shame of your acts, our photographers will be there, so that we can tell the people of Ipswich what role you have played in keeping these women locked in their tragic lives."
The Evening Star was one of the big winners at last month's Newspaper Society Circulation and Editorial Awards, picking up community newspaper of the year for its "Somebody's Daughter"
campaign to highlight problems affecting the city's prostitutes after the five deaths in December. It was also highly commended in the best newspaper category.
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The panel of judges said: "We were impressed by the way the Star handled a huge story that dominated the national press. It was excellently handled while at the same time the newspaper kept to its roots.
"The Star succeeded in galvanising the community at a time of huge concern for the safety of women in the area."
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