Gerry Sutcliffe’s call for a debate on the legalisation of prostitution has been backed by the district’s other MPs.

Yesterday, Mr Sutcliffe, the Bradford South Labour MP, said there should be “controlled zones” where sex workers could operate more safely in the wake of the killings of three vice girls in the city.

Today, fellow MPs agreed that the debate should take place, but not all wanted to see prostitution legalised.

Bradford West Labour MP Marsha Singh, whose constituency includes the city centre, said: “Whatever measures you take, there’s no guarantee that it will result in the safety of the girls involved in that profession.

“A lot of women don’t want to be involved with authority and want to be away from state regulation. I agree that the debate should be opened up about legalised brothels, but the question is ‘where do you put them?’”

Mr Singh added that it was “vital” to get to the heart of the underlying problem driving prostitution – that of drug addiction.

Keighley Conservative MP Kris Hopkins said: “There should be a debate, I would not want to stifle debate, but I do not support legalisation of prostitution. All our efforts should be spent on pursuing pimps and those who buy sexual services off women.”

Bradford East Liberal Democrat MP David Ward said: “It’s a complex issue very much like sex education and legalisation of drugs. By discussing it you don’t want to be condoning it or making it more likely to happen but it definitely needs debating.”

He said: “Tackling drug addiction and making sure kerb-crawlers are dealt with are some of the measures that would help. The argument for the debate is about keeping young women safe.”

Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies said: “I absolutely agree that the debate needs to be had. Clearly, women working together in houses has to be safer than working out on the streets. We have got to be careful to locate them in the right places and have them properly regulated. The key thing is finding a solution that works for the women concerned and for local residents.

“Prostitution won’t go away. We have got to look at the world as it is, not as people would like it to be. Equally I don’t believe in knee-jerk reactions and I think we need a mature, adult, sensible debate about it to see if there is a better solution.”

Stephen Griffiths, 40, of Holmfield Court, Thornton Road, Bradford, is being held in Wakefield Prison while he awaits trial, charged with the murders of sex workers Suzanne Blamires, 36, Shelley Armitage, 31 and Susan Rushworth, 43.