Police crack down on beggars in West End

 
Beggars: The group on Park Lane's central reservation
Rob Parsons18 May 2012

More than 30 arrests have been made in a crackdown against East European beggars amid fears they are targeting tourists and using children to help them make money.

Scotland Yard is responding to rising levels of antisocial behaviour caused by gipsy travellers coming to the capital from countries including Romania, Lithuania and Bulgaria to beg or commit crime.

They are now working with borders officials and Romanian police to cut the number of beggars, including many young children and heavily pregnant women, in areas such as Oxford Street, Marble Arch and Edgware Road.

The crackdown, called Operation Chefornak, has resulted in more than 30 arrests, with a similar number returned home by coach and a further 40 referred to social services.

Sergeant Diana Hurd, who is leading the operation, said: “I don’t think they came here thinking the pavements are paved with gold but they just come here in the hope that it is a little bit better.”

Police say some beggars are targeting Muslim-owned shops, while others are using their young children to get sympathy from passers-by.

There have also been reports of travellers stealing phones or wallets from restaurant tables or posing as undercover police in order to trick tourists.

The Standard accompanied a team of Met police, UK Border Agency officials, Romanian police and Westminster and Haringey council workers dealing with Roma beggars.

One heavily pregnant woman was arrested near Bond Street Tube station after being spotted begging. Three more pregnant women were held for the same offence outside Selfridges.

Officers then spoke to an elderly Romanian woman near Marble Arch who has previous convictions.

She told a Romanian translator she was “poor” and “came here to beg”. Seven people were arrested yesterday and 15 were stopped.

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