Garda probe into begging

GARDAI are investigating whether organised gangs of beggars are being bussed into Wexford from neighbouring towns.

‘We have received complaints and we are looking into the situation,’ said Inspector Denis Whelan.

Cllr George Lawlor recently raised the issue at a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee, with council chief executive Tom Enright saying that some of the people who were begging were purporting to be homeless but not had presented to any of the homeless services offered by the council and it was believed that they were begging under false pretectes.