Fourteen men have been arrested in Edinburgh for soliciting for sex since the law against kerb-crawling came into force in October. All the arrests were in Leith.

Police claimed there was no evidence of the problem being dispersed to other parts of the city.

A new Scotland-wide publicity campaign to highlight the law was launched today by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

Chief Inspector Brian Plastow, who is in charge of policing in north Edinburgh, said the campaign would see high-profile patrols in Leith. But he said there had already been a big reduction in street prostitution since the law came into force.

He added there was no evidence prostitutes had moved to work in other parts of the city. "We have not had a single report to suggest that," he said, and claimed there was also no sign of an increase in indoor prostitution.

Mr Plastow said: "Our belief is this has always been a small-scale issue confined to Leith.

"Two things have happened since the change in the law. The demand has dried up because the customers are staying away and the message has got through to the girls as well."

He said the men arrested were a mix of age groups and social backgrounds, with some from outside the Lothians.

The police had mounted high-profile patrols in the lead up to the new laws coming into force, handing out leaflets to warn kerb-crawlers of the legislation, the police chief added. "After the legislation went live we had a concerted initiative on enforcement and we had an initial six arrests," he said.

"Between then and now, we have been doing some enforcement activity as and when demand permits.

"We will be conducting another high-profile initiative to coincide with the new campaign.

"My message to those who might think of engaging in this sort of activity is: don't."

The Evening News reported last month there had been ten arrests in seven weeks from the end of October.

Figures published today show a further four arrests since then, bringing the total for Edinburgh to 14.

Across Scotland, 40 men have been arrested for soliciting for sex since the law against kerb- crawling came in.

However, Independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald said it was a mistake to think the prostitutes had disappeared. She said: "Just because women selling sex are not as visually obvious as they were before doesn't mean they have stopped selling sex.

"They are not congregating in any one place. They are on the move and they are indoors, but they are being discreet about it."

Launching the campaign, Mr MacAskill said kerb-crawlers now faced a series of penalties if they flouted the law – arrest, a criminal record, a fine of up to £1000 and potentially losing their right to drive.

The minister said: "We are making it clear that prostitution damages the individuals caught up in selling sex and the communities involved.

"Those whose demand fuels this relentlessly corrosive and abusive trade now face the full force of the law."

The Scottish Government is working with Westminster to ensure that, in future, courts will have the power to disqualify offenders from driving.

A survey commissioned for the campaign found most people – 88 per cent in Lothian and Borders – knew or thought kerb-crawling was now illegal.