How police are cracking down on begging in Sheffield city centre this Christmas

Neighbourhood police officers and City Centre Ambassadors took to the streets of Sheffield yesterday to speak to groups and individuals believed to be involved in begging.

Sergeant Jon Simpson said: “The issue of begging and problems linked to so-called street culture become particularly prevalent at this time of year when we see an increase in people in the city centre.

“The number of Christmas shoppers and people wanting to enjoy what the city has to offer are on the rise and we’re here to make sure they can do that safely.”

He added: “Yesterday we upped our usual presence on Fargate and other main shopping streets to deter and disperse beggars. We’ve issued four dispersal notices to individuals that we believe to be involved in begging and two people received community protection notices.

“The patrols have also resulted in us stopping and searching seven people, with one being reported on summons for possession of cannabis and a second person receiving a caution for possession of spice.

“We have also spoken to a number of people about what support they may be able to access in relation to their health and housing needs, it’s really important that we encourage people to get help too.

“Thank you to all the members of the public, city workers and shoppers, who have stopped to chat to us too; we really appreciate your kind comments and support.”