AIDS council in consultation over prostitute info kits

The AIDS council, or ACON, says police and lawyers will be consulted before it finalises information kits it plans to give to street workers in the Newcastle suburb of Islington.

A draft form of the document has already been given to prostitutes.

The material includes advice on how to deal with the courts and police, and information about where it is legal to solicit as a street worker.

ACON's northern region manager, Chris Clemenson, says the information included in the documents could change.

"The information is a very early draft of a much larger book - it was shown to workers as part of our process to get their feedback on its utility, its language and those types of things," he said.

"As it's an early draft, it will also be going to legal people, including our connections with police to ensure that it's accurate."

Newcastle crime manager, Detective Chief Inspector Brad Taylor, believes the material is being handed out in response to police using move-on powers.

"Most of the stuff that's been handed out is in relation to knowing what rights police have and I supposed they're entitled to it as anyone else is," he said.

"They're quite right to look it up on any law site or anything, but whether or not that should be given out by another Government agency is really not for me to comment I don't think."