POLICE are convicting more sex offenders who target the city’s sex workers than ever before, new figures reveal.

Conviction rates have soared for rapes against Liverpool’s 350 street level prostitutes with 90% of offenders now being punished in court.

Merseyside Police have also seen detection rates for rapes against sex workers soar by 35% since 2006/07.

According to officers, it is all down to treating the crimes as hate crimes and working alongside outreach service Armistead.

The force say they are confident of securing even more convictions in the future.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Keelan, said: “Merseyside Police takes all forms of hate crime very seriously and will not tolerate attacks on women who work in the sex industry and have been victims of violent crime.

“They are people's mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and will be treated by our officers in exactly the same way as any victim of crime should be – with care, professionalism and respect.”

DCI Keelan said the barriers that existed between the police and sex workers are now being broken which has lead to a surge in prostitutes coming forward to report crime.