Beggars causing a “nuisance” on Britain’s streets will be targeted as part of the Prime Minister’s plans to crack down on anti-social behaviour. Police and local authorities will be given fresh powers to address people deemed to be irritating or causing the public distress.
According to proposals drawn up for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, law enforcement officers and council workers will be given “tools” to direct people judged to be causing a “nuisance on the street”, including by obstructing shop doorways or begging at cash machines, to health and social services.
This could include helping them to find accommodation or assistance with mental health or substance misuse issues, department officials said. The debris and paraphernalia they leave behind will be cleared away, the department pledged, in an effort to tidy Britain’s high streets and make them safer.
