Police will this weekend start sweeping Brighton and Hove clean of prostitutes' advertising cards in phone kiosks.

New laws which come into force on Saturday will for the first time give officers power to arrest the small army of people placing the adverts.

More than a million vice cards were removed from kiosks in Brighton and Hove last year and police are determined to stamp out the trade.

From Saturday it will be an arrestable offence to post the cards and offenders face six months in prison or a £5,000 fine.

Superintendent Graham Cox, second in command of Brighton police, said: "In addition to the new powers I have instructed officers to remove and bin any cards they see and I would ask the public to help by doing the same.

"Some people will ask why are we bothering but it is young children and the elderly, who rely more on public telephones, who we are considering.

"These cards are completely unacceptable.

"Critics may argue that the action will lead to street prostitution but it is like asking us not to crack down on shoplifters because it might lead to more robberies."

Until now police have had no powers of arrest and have relied on the offence of placing illegal adverts as a way to tackle the problem.

Supt Cox himself arrested one distributor in Queens Square, Brighton, on Saturday night. Offenders breaching the advert regulation have been fined up to £500.

Supt Cox said he welcomed the new powers and the more severe penalties.

The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2000 also allows the police to confiscate drink from people in the street in defined areas.

The city council has selected the troubled St James's Street area for a drinking ban but policing has been delayed while warning signs are installed.

Police will be able to arrest people who continue to drink in the street in designated banned areas.