Crafty beggars return to town (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Crafty beggars return to town

CRAFTY beggars are playing a game of cat and mouse with police, it has been claimed. In August the Adver reported how Swindon town centre was fast becoming a "no-go area" for vagrants.

But according to Bernie Maguire, the town centre manager, a small number are back.

Last summer there were about 15 persistent beggars.

Mr Maguire reckons numbers have dropped but he says a few are turning to crafty measures to make their cash.

"Beggars in the town centre are no longer staying put in one location for the whole day," he said.

"Whereas before you might have a beggar do a 9am to 5pm at Brunel West he might spend a couple of hours there and then move on to the Parade before they are spotted by police or town centre management."

Mr Maguire said begging did nothing to promote the town.

He added: "It can be very unpleasant for shoppers and other visitors to Swindon town centre.

"Beggars have been known to be extremely unpleasant to people and they can be very threatening to the very young and old.

"We need to promote our town and bring in visitors beggars don't help.

"We have had comments from people which suggest people are put off coming to Swindon because of the amount of begging." PC Andy Alexander, community beat officer for the town centre, agreed that begging remains an issue.

"There are five hardcore beggars who still operate in the town centre," he said.

"All they are interested in is raising £10 for a heroin fix.

"To the best of my knowledge every beggar on the streets of Swindon is a drug user."

PC Alexander said beggars are no longer occupying 'pitches'.

Instead, they are now roaming the streets for cash, he said.

"They are walking up to people and asking for cash.

"It is almost impossible for us to catch them unless they happen to ask a plain-clothes officer.

"This issue takes up a lot of police time and one thing a police officer doesn't have a lot of is time.

"People need to understand that if they stop giving money to beggars they will go away."

The Street Safe scheme was set up in Swindon to reduce the number of beggars.

The central giving scheme means those who want to give money to homeless people can do so, safe in the knowledge that the money is not going on drugs.

There are collection boxes in shops and the cash goes to organ-isations working with those who are genuinely homeless.

Kevin Shoesmith