This is the bizarre moment 60 Thai hookers were rounded up and arrested to have their details taken - in case they commit crimes in the future.

Police frogmarched dozens of young woman to the station in Pattaya, Thailand, after picking them up on the red-light strip Beach Road. The prostitutes had their IDs recorded, pictures taken and fingerprints marked - with police heralding the ''grand crime prevention measure''.

Footage shows them being herded from police pick-up trucks and covering their faces as they are ushered in lines into the station. They were released an hour late.

Critics said it was unfair to stigmatise the group of young women and an invasion of their privacy. Sue Bangsai, who runs a support group for Thai women in the sex trade, said: ''Police should be supporting the women not demonising them even more.

''Sex workers risk abuse from customers every day but often their complaints are not heard.

''They often choose this work through a lack of other options and they should not be treated as criminals.''

Colonel Nattithorn Ratananatanan from the City's police station said: ''Ladies who were loitering under trees along the Beach Road were taken to the police station in order to prevent crime.

''We are following the policy to suppress the spread of prostitution. Officers split up and tackled the area and when they saw women showing signs of prostitution they were arrested.

''Background checks were made and their details were added to a database. When tourists have problems in the future we can show the pictures for them to identify the offender.''

This is the bizarre moment 60 Thai hookers were rounded up and arrested to have their details taken - in case they commit crimes in the future.

Police frogmarched dozens of young woman to the station in Pattaya, Thailand, after picking them up on the red-light strip Beach Road. The prostitutes had their IDs recorded, pictures taken and fingerprints marked - with police heralding the ''grand crime prevention measure''.

Footage shows them being herded from police pick-up trucks and covering their faces as they are ushered in lines into the station. They were released an hour late. Critics said it was unfair to stigmatise the group of young women and an invasion of their privacy. Sue Bangsai, who runs a support group for Thai women in the sex trade, said: ''Police should be supporting the women not demonising them even more. Sex workers risk abuse from customers every day but often their complaints are not heard. They often choose this work through a lack of other options and they should not be treated as criminals.''

Colonel Nattithorn Ratananatanan from the City's police station said: ''Ladies who were loitering under trees along the Beach Road were taken to the police station in order to prevent crime. We are following the policy to suppress the spread of prostitution. Officers split up and tackled the area and when they saw women showing signs of prostitution they were arrested. Background checks were made and their details were added to a grand database.When tourists have problems in the future we can show the pictures for them to identify the offender.''