A woman has told how she was left “stunned” when her boss was contacted by vice squad officers after her car was seen in Bradford’s red light area.

Anne-Marie Carroll, 45, who is a member of the Bradford Catholic Players, was on her way to the group’s rehearsal rooms in Rebecca Street, driving alone in a company car, which was noted by officers investigating kerb crawling.

A letter was then sent by the Bradford District Vice Team to the Carroll Cleaning Company in Halifax, where she works as a sales director.

Her twin brother, Nicholas, the company’s managing director, opened the letter, which said the details of the circumstances in which Miss Carroll was seen would be kept on record unless she objected, and that she should speak to officers so they could confirm she had not committed an offence.

Miss Carroll said: “I was stunned.

“For years and years we have always attended the rehearsal rooms at Rebecca Street without problems.

“The fact I’m a woman on my own, it beggars belief.

“My concern is with innocent people who, like me, drive company cars, a letter will go to their employers.

“It casts aspersions immediately and once that aspersion has been cast there would always be that cast of doubt as to what they were doing.

“Unless I am prosecuted I do not think they have any right at all to hold my details on file.

“I am a law-abiding citizen and I think it is an absolute outrage. They can’t do this to people.”

She added: “I know what they are battling against trying to keep these ladies safe, but law-abiding citizens need to be looked after as well.”

Superintendent Angela Williams, of Bradford South Police, defended the “robust” approach used by her officers in tackling kerb crawling in the division.

But Mr Carroll said he was “incandescent with rage” when he opened the letter.

“Mailing out these lame letters peppered with these references to kerb crawling, a good number of people will be perfectly normal people going about their lawful business,” he said. “The whole idea is abhorrent to me. It is a really cack-handed way of dealing with the problem. We don’t need a reason to drive on the road.”

Supt Williams said: “We make no apology for the robust way in that we tackle the issue of kerb crawling in Bradford.

“This particular tactic to target the men who solicit women has been used for a number of years in the city and with notable success.

“The letters are sent out following detailed observations of a vehicle’s movements and the registered owner is contacted whether it is an individual or a business.

“In circumstances where the drivers are found to have legitimate reason for their activity, they are immediately removed from our records.”

e-mail: tanya.orourke @telegraphandargus.co.uk