The government has been urged to change the laws on prostitution following the murder of five women in Suffolk.

As police continue to hunt for the killer of the women, all thought to be prostitutes, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell has led calls for a "wholesale review" of current regulations.

Speaking at prime minister's questions in Westminster today, Sir Menzies urged Tony Blair to do more to ensure that women working in the sex industry are protected.

Fears among Ipswich's sex workers have dramatically increased following the discovery of the bodies, but many prostitutes are still on the streets.

This has prompted campaigners to call for an amnesty to prosecuting prostitutes and their clients while the killer is still at large and Sir Menzies believes it is time the present rules were changed.

"The prime minister is obviously, like the rest of us, shocked by the disturbing events in Suffolk," the Lib Dem leader said.

"It's clear, is it not, that once again we see the link between poverty, prostitution and drug abuse?"

In response, Mr Blair said "there may well be lessons that we have to learn as a result of the terrible events of the past few weeks" but added that it would be better "to leave to a later time a more considered, potentially policy, response to the issues that have arisen".

Sir Menzies then called on Mr Blair to "consider a wholesale review of the law in this area, so as to ensure we do everything in our power, so far as possible, to ensure the womens' safety".

The prime minister responded by saying that last year's consultation paper on the issue "showed how difficult this area is in policy terms", reiterating his wish to discuss any review at a later date.

The Lib Dems say they want to repeal laws which "force prostitutes into the criminal sub-culture" and create new legislation designed to "protect vulnerable individuals, regulate prostitution and prevent nuisance".

They are calling for a system of privately-operated brothels so that sex workers do not need to search for clients on the streets.

Such calls are likely to be welcomed by the English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP), which wants all sex workers to be decriminalised and prostitution laws to be scrapped, arguing that they make prostitutes vulnerable to violence and isolate them from society.

In relation to the Ipswich murders, ECP spokeswoman Cari Mitchell said: "There needs to be an end to street sweeps, arrests and Asbos (antisocial behaviour orders) against prostitute women and clients which have forced women into darker, more isolated areas making them more vulnerable to rape, violence and even murder.

"Women working under increased pressure are less able to look out for each other, have less time to check out clients and are forced to take more risks.

"The police are telling women to look out for each other and come forward with information but whatever safety systems that women have and will work out among themselves, they can never substitute for the police doing the job that the public overwhelmingly wants them to do - protect sex workers from rape and other attacks."

A government strategy published in January approved more enforcement of laws against kerb-crawling and those who exploit prostitutes but rejected the idea of managed zones for sex workers to operate.