Giving money to beggars can kill them' warns council as crackdown begins

Hammersmith & Fulham Council in 'blitz on street beggars'

Exeter Council has started a crackdown on street begging, warning that handing money over to the needy can lead to deaths.
A poster campaign being run by the Exeter Community Safety Partnership and Devon and Cornwall Police highlights that money handed over to beggars is often spent on drugs or alcohol or to fund a comfortable lifestyle away from the streets.
Council Leader Pete Edwards said: "Evidence that the overwhelming majority of people begging on the streets of Exeter spend their begging money on crack cocaine and heroin is indisputable. Giving money to these people could be fuelling a drug habit that will eventually kill them!"
The council has warned that, with evidence showing that beggars can earn up to £80 a day, a recent audit proved that over 70% of people begging were not homeless. When they had finished begging and obtained their fix they were then returning to their accommodation.
Those who wish to help are instead being encouraged to donate to an alternative giving scheme, where funds are channelled directly towards projects to help the homeless and those sleeping rough.

Giving money to beggars can kill them' warns council as crackdown begins