It used to be said that the oldest profession in the world was prostitution.

However politically incorrect that might be seen as nowadays or however offensive some people might find it, there is a basic truth behind that statement. Since time immemorial men and women have used sex, or the promise of it, as a bargaining tool – both in the bedroom as part of a consensual and loving relationship and in far less moral circumstances which have seen it effectively traded as a commodity.

In other words, using sex to get what you want is human nature. Sadly, in our modern age, “what you want” has become “what you need” in some circumstances, not least on the streets of most of our major towns and cities, where many prostitutes sell sexual services to feed both themselves and their drug habits.

The fact of the matter, therefore, is that prostitution will not go away: it will always be there in some form or another. The question for Bradford – and society – is how to make it as safe as possible for all those involved but particularly for these vulnerable women who, potentially, take their life in their hands every time they step in to a stranger’s car.

So MP Gerry Sutcliffe’s call for the legalisation of brothels to be reassessed is both timely and sensible. It isn’t the perfect answer but at least properly-managed facilities would help to reduce the risk to the women involved and help to protect the sexual health of all parties and those they mix with elsewhere. And a measure of official control might also help to prevent the exploitation of women by those vile members of the criminal fraternity who seek to profit from the misfortune of these women and the social inadequacy of their clients.