[23] In this green paper it discussed a number of areas where policing in the UK could be improved, based on the review that Sir Ronnie Flanagan had undertaken.

Exploitative conduct would mean the use of force, threats (whether or not relating to violence) or any other form of coercion or deception", that "sex encounter venues" be renamed "sexual entertainment venues" in the case of lap dancing clubs and that the provisions which allowed licensing authorities to impose discretionary licensing conditions on two or more premises were removed.

It creates a legal framework to allow two or more police forces to collaborate and make agreements in order to increase effectiveness and efficiency, for payment or otherwise.

[33] This amendment also allows police officers to take a person under the age of sixteen home, or to a place of safety, if they are issued with a direction to leave under section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006.

[34] When these new powers were introduced on 29 January 2010, they were described as helping "officers to take a more robust approach and will hopefully reassure residents that we are continuing to target this issue.

"[35] The Act deems it an offence for a person aged under 18 years to be in possession of alcohol in a relevant place without reasonable excuse, on 3 or more occasions, within 12 consecutive months.

[38] In October 2011, Gloucestershire Constabulary in partnership with Gloucester City Council successfully applied for gang injunctions against two local men who had been involved in persistent criminal and anti social behaviour.

The Act has received a mixed reception during the passage of the bill, with much criticism about the parts of it which deal with prostitution coming from senior police officers, such as Commander Alan Gibson, head of the Metropolitan Police's anti-trafficking unit, who argued that the law with regards to criminalising men who pay for sex with prostitutes would be "very difficult to enforce".

[40][41] The Chief Constable for Gloucestershire Constabulary, Dr Tim Brain, told BBC News that he feared the complexity of the law may make gaining evidence hard.

[43] ACPO commented on the bill, saying that "chief officers will welcome the introduction of powers to impose mandatory conditions on the supply of alcohol", and "includes other measures we welcome, such as those to close brothels and give police powers to protect neighbourhoods from the nuisance and harm they create; and strengthened legislation to support police operations to recover the proceeds of crime.

[45] Chris Knight, vice-chairman of the LDA, said that the cost of the additional licence required to run a lap dancing club from 2010 could affect many businesses[46] and questioned the right of local authorities to make licensing decisions on "emotive and moralistic grounds".

A freedom of information request by the BBC revealed that between 2013 and 2018 the number of sex establishments licences issued by councils in England had dropped from 386 to 256.