FIVE years on from a prostitution purge in Bolton, the charity at the heart of the crackdown is still keeping an iron-clad grip on Bolton's sex industry.

Urban Outreach works with the police on a range of issues, including missing children enquiries, and rehabilitation and support for male and female offenders.

Reach Out, its programme intended to offer guidance to women involved in street sex work, had a dramatic impact five years ago.

Teaming up with the police's Operation Zero, Urban Outreach helped slash the number of prostitutes in Bolton from 140 to fewer than 20.

The Salop Street charity threw open its doors to Greater Manchester mayor Tony Lloyd and Bolton police officers last week.

Chief executive Dave Bagley showcased the work the charity is doing, and introduced the guests to a domestic violence victim Urban Outreach has supported since she was released from a custodial sentence imposed for a crime committed with her former partner.

He said: "We are still aware of all the street workers operating in Bolton. There are between 17 and 25 at the moment.

"All of them have been in contact with us at some point.

"Our work is all about supporting them off the streets. Exit is our top priority.

"We help them find housing, or get them off drugs.

"Often there is domestic violence there or an abusive relationship and we offer any support needed."

Police say the work of Urban Outreach is vital in achieving a long-term solution to the problem of prostitution.

The charity, based in Salop Street, helps prostitutes fight drug addiction and aims to stop young people being drawn into the business.

In the two years leading up to June 2010, police made more than 500 arrests as part of the prostitution crackdown.

Mr Lloyd, police and crime commissioner, said: "Dave and his team are absolutely fantastic and one thing they are really clear on is that they are not interested in being ever-expanding and dealing with the world.

"They are Bolton through and through.

"Some of the most important work they do is with vulnerable young people, giving them reassurance and making them recognise they could be putting themselves at risk."

Other Urban Outreach programmes are RUNA, which works with children, OARS, a support network for male offenders after their prison release, and a similar project for women called Eve's Space.