POLICE SAY ALL STREET BEGGARS IN ONE CITY ARE FRAUDS
Our ‘homeless’ are frauds raking it in, say city’s police
EVERY “homeless” beggar in one of Britain’s smallest cities is a fraud and many make “substantial” amounts of money through conning the public, police have warned.
Cambridgeshire Police issued the statement that there are no genuine rough sleepers in Ely after concerns that members of the public are being misled.
They urge well-wishers to give “homeless” people food or warm drinks instead of money.
Housing and support has been offered or given to everyone known to be involved in street begging in the city, officers say.
Their alert spells out that “lucrative” amounts of cash are being made from begging and they are “keen to impress upon people that there are no rough sleepers in Ely”.
However, some local residents claim they personally knew rough sleepers and describe them as in need of help.
There are some 4,750 people sleeping rough on any one night in Britain and around 600 are in the Cambridgeshire area.
Sergeant Phil Priestley said: “There are no rough sleepers in Ely – all of the individuals that have been seen begging recently have been catered for with regards to housing and support.
“We do not want people to be misled, because it can be a lucrative opportunity.
Urge
“It is natural to feel for anyone who appears to be living on the streets or who seems to be affected by hardship.
“We urge anyone who wants to assist the issue of homelessness to donate to a registered charity which will take a co-ordinated approach to tackling the problem.
“If you do feel moved to give something – offer food or a warm drink by all means – but please do not offer money.”
A spokesman for East Cambridgeshire District Council said staff had taken thorough steps to ensure that people in need find support.
Angela Parmenter, housing and community safety manager, said: “Sometimes people don’t want to engage with us because it is possible to earn substantial amounts of money on the streets of Ely.
“It may appear that the local authority is uncaring – but in truth we are making support available.”
But one Ely resident claimed: “The man called Charlie who usually sits in the cloisters is genuinely homeless. Yes, he has a phone but it’s a basic £10 one that a man brought him.
“He doesn’t do drugs or drink alcohol. He loves his hot chocolate and is very appreciative when you take him a hot drink. I know a lot of the others that also sit around asking for money are not homeless.
“Charlie has been to see about trying to get room in the hostel. Hopefully he will get lucky and get a roof over his head very soon.”
But the police claim was backed by another resident who said “homeless” people were “coming into town by car”.
A spokesman said: “We don’t want to persuade people to not care, or not offer help – but we do want to help people to know how best to go about offering help.
“The ECDC housing team care a great deal and they are paid to address the issue [and they do].”
The row comes after the council leader in Windsor asked police to remove homeless people from the streets before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ’s wedding on May 19.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE police want it to be known that there are no rough sleepers in the cathedral city of Ely. So if you encounter a beggar, don’t part with your money. Some of these vagrants are, according to the police, making a very decent income on the streets.
But the truth is that they have all been “catered for with regard to housing and support”. One city resident even claims to have seen supposedly homeless people arriving by car.
As we return to our centrally heated homes on a winter’s evening it is troubling to see someone who has apparently nowhere to go for the night. To assuage our consciences we often hand over some cash, not really knowing whether it will be spent on drugs or drink or end up in the pocket of someone who already has a home of their own.
These fake rough sleepers bank on the public’s discomfiture and generous impulses. Though as the police advise, it would make more sense to give food or a hot drink. Their spokesman said: “We don’t want to persuade people not to care, or not offer help – but we do want to help people to know how best to go about offering help.”
Ely is a small city. The police know what they are talking about. Homelessness is an emotive issue but clearly some of those down on their luck may be taking us for mugs. In Ely and elsewhere.