Prostitution is casually referred to as the world's oldest profession, but this adage belies the dark nature of the business the destruction it causes to the lives of those working in the industry, and the daily disruption heaped on those living next to it.

Seven Sisters, the Harringay Ladder and Finsbury Park were identified as the borough's red-light districts by the London Assembly this week, but a report unearthed by this newspaper also reveals that Haringey has up to 200 sex workers operating from homes and brothels.

The report by the Poppy Project, a charity which helps prostitutes find a way out of the sex industry, makes a cautious estimate of 23 brothels in Haringey. The investigation also revealed that four of these venues had special treatment' licenses from Haringey Council, enabling them to offer massage services.

A cursory glance on the internet also unveils a plethora of massage parlours selling sex in Crouch End and Hornsey. A web site, which gives punters' those using prostitutes the opportunity to exchange notes, has graphic reviews of dozens of women in the west of the borough.

According to the London Assembly report, street prostitution is the most pernicious part of the sex industry.

Haringey police have cracked down on the red-light district in Seven Sisters during the last year. While swoops on certain locations used to result in 20 to 30 arrests, these streets are usually quiet now.

Sergeant Jonathan Davis, who has worked on many of these operations, said: "The problem in Seven Sisters has been almost completely eradicated. The area is clearly different now, although we do get this residual problem from the knowledge that it is a red-light district'."

A council report into the sex trade last year said that up to four out of five street prostitutes in the borough were drug addicts.

"Some of them are very friendly people a lot have real problems," said Sgt Davis. "They normally have a bad drug problem. We have to keep in mind that they are also victims."

Haringey has issued the second highest number of Asbos (anti-social behaviour orders) to street prostitutes in London. Ten orders have already been dished out by magistrates, and although this has been successful in moving prostitutes away, police believe it has done little more than push the problem elsewhere.

The London Assembly also expressed doubts about the use of Asbos in this week's report, saying: "By imposing an Asbo on a woman, she can be prevented from entering a certain area, but because of her need to support her drug dependency, she will be forced to work in another area, usually a neighbouring area.

"The committee takes the view that Asbos are not a wholly appropriate way to deal with street prostitutes.

"This criminalises the individual when what they are doing is not illegal. The committee recommends that the Home Office reviews the extent of the use of Asbos for prostitutes; and that it develops and promotes a policy that any order be coupled with positive action to include drug referral and exit programmes as appropriate."

This is a feeling echoed by the council and police, who feel that groups such as Sexual Health On Call (SHOC), which provides support for street workers, should play a bigger role. They would like to see more support and less punishment for street prostitutes.

Whereas Seven Sisters has received significant funding, the red-light district around Green Lanes has not and remains a nuisance to residents. The council's overview and scrutiny report last year said: "Other areas of the borough (West Green, Green Lanes) do not have the same financial resources to address the problem in the same way and consequently there has not been the same level of action. There is also considerably less evidence of partnership working."

The area presents more problems than Seven Sisters, as it is much busier at night and therefore it is more difficult to spot street walkers. Police believe that many of the prostitutes there are from eastern Europe, and unlike those found in some other areas, have been trafficked into the country. The council report said: "It is suggested that activity is linked to social clubs in the area, although there were some conflicting views on this point."

The Police Scrutiny Review of street prostitution, from April 2004, suggested that clients were generally those who went to socialise in the area. The men tended to walk to Green Lanes, so operations aimed at targeting kerb crawlers had not been successful.

Finsbury Park was also highlighted as a red-light zone, with street prostitutes taking clients to the park. However, police have received few reports of problems.

While red-light districts cause the most disruption to residents, brothels are more prevalent in the borough. "The growth area in prostitution is off-street, which foreign women now dominate," said the council report. "The average takings of a high-street massage parlour are around £1.5 million per annum."

This would suggest that up to £35m is being made in Haringey brothels. "Due to its sheer size, the off-street trade is something that the authorities may have to get to grips with," the report said. "There is evidence that problems are being alleviated in particular areas of the borough. However, the distribution of activity may be becoming wider."

Many brothels are linked to organised crime, as the experience of former prostitutes proves. One woman, who was helped by the Poppy Project, was trafficked into the UK and forced to work in Turkish social clubs. Another was brought into the country illegally and forced to work in a lap-dancing club in the borough.

While some punters' boast of their conquests on the internet, these acts leave a trail of misery from brothels in Haringey to the poor and vulnerable across the globe.