IF attacks on Swindon's prostitutes do not stop, the town could soon face a situation like Ipswich where vice girls were murdered.

So says Jenni Manners, who runs Swindon's Women's Refuge.

She said she feared for the safety of Swindon's vice girls, after one was brutally raped on Monday, and attacks on them were becoming more and more serious.

"Prostitutes really do seem to be targeted at the moment, and the number of attacks seem to be going up," she said.

"We don't want Swindon to end up with a situation like Ipswich."

The attack, in a secluded lane near the Groundwell Industrial Estate was the fifth case of a prostitute being raped reported to the Advertiser in the last year.

After hearing about the latest assault, she said that she feared the reason behind the rising number of sexual attacks on prostitutes was because other women were becoming more aware of the dangers of strange men.

"It is much easier to get a prostitute into a car and drive her to a secluded location than with any other women," she said.

"Women and teenage girls are much more aware these days of getting a registered taxi home and going home in groups.

"I don't think it is necessarily that the type of men who visit prostitutes are also likely to be a rapist.

"I think it is a certain type of man who is a sexual predator or a potential rapist finding it harder and harder to find vulnerable women on the streets and targeting prostitutes because it is easier to get them into their cars.

"For girls working on the streets it can be very, very difficult to protect themselves.

"I would urge any women working on the street to find ways to protect themselves.

"Maybe they should work in pairs and get their friend to write down the registration number of the car."

She said that, in spite of the number of attacks, she was pleased with the way Swindon's police were dealing with them.

"I'm thankful that Wiltshire Police treat it as seriously as any other rape. I know some other forces wouldn't.

"I think among the general public a lot of people think with prostitutes it's their own fault as that's what they do. But any person in any role should be capable of saying no.

"This is something beyond what these women would have sold as a service."

She repeated calls for brothels to be legalised in non-residential areas to make life safer workers in the sex industry.

"I don't think we will ever stop prostitution completely.

"I think the safest solution and the best way to reduce kerb crawling would be to allow them brothels in areas away from homes."