Scotland's kerb crawlers are middle-aged, middle class professionals and mostly married, according to the first analysis of those charged with soliciting prostitutes.

The Herald can reveal that at least 80 men have been charged since October across the country. Some 45 of them were caught in Glasgow.

Contrary to popular expectation, most of those caught were white collar workers, including teachers and salesmen, and many of them lived with wives or partners.

Police and support agencies across the country are collating the details of the men charged to build up a more informed picture of those involved.

Kerb crawlers face a criminal record, a fine of up to £1000 and the shame of exposure to family and colleagues under the legislation introduced on October 15 last year.

Officers say there has already been a marked decrease in the numbers of prostitutes on the streets.

In the past the law criminalised the women selling sex on the streets but largely ignored the men buying their services.

The Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act 2007, passed by MSPs in February last year, criminalised soliciting for the purpose of obtaining the services of someone engaged in prostitution, and loitering for the same purpose.

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

Speaking exclusively to The Herald, Ann Hamilton, head of Glasgow's Violence Against Women Team, said: "It has been really interesting to see who these men are. They travel in from other areas and many of them are teachers and salesmen.

"The fact is that they are middle-aged, middle class earners and are well educated, not the poor sad souls we might have imagined. A lot of them are married and living with partners."

She added: "Police forces are gathering information across the country about the age, marital status, ethnicity and employment of these men. We need to know who these men are in order to target their activities.

"The legislation has undoubtedly decreased the numbers of women on the streets but it has also displaced them. Women have started to use their mobiles a lot more. Punters will phone up and arrange to meet them in a particular place rather than leaving them to stand on a street corner."

Grampian police has charged eight men and Lothian and Borders police has charged 21, most of whom are described as "white collar workers".

Most of the men caught under the new law were in their mid 40s to late 50s - although ages ranged from 19 to 70 - and were caught during the week rather than at weekends.

Among those caught were a doctor, an accountant, a retired clergyman, a naval officer and a tourist from Kazakhstan.

In Aberdeen, the legislation meant the end of the street prostitute management zone which has operated in the city's harbour area since 2001.

Ms Hamilton said the Ipswich murders emphasised the need to criminalise all aspects of prostitution.

She added: "We are very keen to look at the Swedish approach - which has criminalised the buying, facilitating and advertising of sexual services. It is not to say they have stopped prostitution altogether but they have disrupted it. We cannot keep these women safe. The idea of tolerance zones has been discredited."

John Neilson, the spokesman on prostitution for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, said the legislation has already had a significant impact.

"This has made a big difference and we have reduced the demand significantly," he said.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Kerb crawlers and those tempted to seek sex on Scotland's streets should now be clear of the potential legal and social costs of their actions."