TOUGH new powers to crack down on begging and street drinking in Southampton could come into effect within weeks.

The Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) will be introduced in five areas of the city if plans are approved next week, and could see people failing to comply with the orders fined or arrested.

Council chiefs have faced some criticism, with some saying they are “inappropriate” to tackling complex social issues, but Labour housing boss Warwick Payne says support will be offered to genuinely homeless people and that the crackdown is aimed at “bogus beggars”.

The plans were reported in the Daily Echo last year as it was revealed that there had been an increase in “bogus begging” in the city, with some people in the city centre said to earn up to £200 a day.

Official figures have shown that genuine homelessness is also on the increase, rising from 39 to 59 from 2013 to 2014, while the Daily Echo recently reported that many are staying in the multi-storey car park near Bedford Place to avoid the wintry weather.

The PSPOs would be in force in the city centre, Portswood Broadway, Shirley High Street, Woolston High Street and Bitterne Precinct, and could see fines of up to £100 issued and arrests made if the rules are not complied with.

However both the police and council say they would only be used as a “last resort” and anyone begging or drinking will be warned before any action is taken.

Of the 827 people who responded to consultation on the plans, 73 per cent said they supported the move while 23 per cent opposed it.

Labour housing boss Warwick Payne said: “It’s very clear that almost three quarters of people who gave up their time to respond to the consultation said that the PSPO was required in Southampton, so for me that is a very strong indication about where the thoughts of people lie, in that this is something that should be brought in. The PSPO is aimed at anti-social and threatening begging and it is designed to be a crackdown on bogus beggars.”

Conservative opposition leader Jeremy Moulton also supported the move, saying it was “long overdue”, saying: “it causes concerns around safety and is not good for the image of the city where people are trying to run businesses and attract people to the city.”

The chief executive of the Society of St James, Trevor Pickup, had voiced concerns, saying: “threatening people with legal action is not an appropriate response to dealing with complex social issues”.

But Cllr Payne said the move was designed to tackle “bogus begging” and not penalise those in need, saying: “This is not an attack on the homeless as we are very keen to offer services to people who are genuinely homeless and need help.

“We will be signposting people to day services and hostels as a first option and PSPO powers will be used against those who have already been asked to stop begging and are continuing.”

Saying many of beggars in Southampton have accommodation and are not homeless, he added: “Not all homeless people are beggars and not all beggars are homeless.”

If the plans are approved at the meeting of the council cabinet on Tuesday (March 15) they could be introduced at the end of April.