A Hampshire council says it will be cracking down on bogus beggars in the city centre.

Winchester City Council leader Caroline Horrill said she recognises that there are legitimate homeless people in Winchester, but also those who choose to sleep rough, and that there are beggars who are trying to pay for addictions.

It comes after city councillor Ian Tait said that bogus begging is an issue in Winchester along with shoplifting, drug misuse and anti-social behaviour.

He described beggars as earning a “significant amount of money” from the practice, when they already have accommodation.

Cllr Horrill praised the work of the council officers who help homeless people in the city and said the council will be more “robust” in its approach to beggars.

Cllr Horrill said: “We have individuals on the streets who are housed, often people go on the streets to beg for additional money to fuel an addiction.

“Our homeless numbers are in reasonable shape and we work very much in partnership with a number of charities. We do outreach checks on rough sleepers.

“There are individuals who would rather sleep on the street than come in. We have beds for them but they simply do not want to engage.

“We do not want to give up on them.

“We have distinguished those that are homeless and those that choose to sleep rough and those that are begging, we hope to understand all of those dynamics.

“We are thinking about a robust view of begging, especially for those that hang around cash machines which can be quite intimidating for people.”