CONTROVERSIAL proposals to crack down on begging were today welcomed by York's police chief.

Home Secretary David Blunkett was today unveiling a white paper containing a range of measures targeting anti-social behaviour, which was expected to include making begging a criminal offence with stiffer penalties.

Under the proposals, offences of begging would form part of a criminal record, and after three convictions, courts could impose a community penalty such as drug treatment or work in the community.

Superintendent John Lacy, police commander for the York and Selby area, said York was seen as a "soft touch" by beggars, many of whom travelled to the city to prey on the generosity of locals and visitors.

He said few of those begging on the streets of the city were in genuine need, and he condemned most as "liars, cheats, drug addicts and alcohol abusers".

But, he said, the police were trapped between "fire from two camps" on the issue.

"There are those who want the streets cleared and those who say the police should treat beggars with compassion."

He said begging was a growing problem in York. In the last 12 months, there were 127 occasions when his officers brought people before the city's magistrates charged with begging under the Vagrancy Act.

They could face fines of up to £1,000, he said, but in practice this became a £50 fine or a couple of hours in the cells.

"This is not a criticism of the local magistrates, as I know too well the difficulties they can find with sentencing, but what it does do is cause a revolving door process that quickly puts the beggars straight back on the streets.

"Therefore I am delighted that ministers are considering proposing new harsher sentences. Personally, I am all in favour of more community-type sentences which rid the city of beggars and hopefully put them into treatment and more meaningful types of community work."

He said few of the city's beggars were genuine homeless as most were able to give addresses.

"My message is that many of those currently on the streets begging don't want help because they know they can make more money on the streets begging," he said.

We'll name and shame them

THE EVENING Press today received new powers to name and shame teenage thugs who cause terror on the streets.

The tough measure is at the centre of the crackdown on antisocial behaviour.

Home Secretary David Blunkett's White Paper will lift the automatic ban on naming under-18s

given an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) on top of a criminal conviction.

Local people will then know when a youth has been banned from a housing estate or town centre - so they can report any breach.

Some ASBO youths have already been named

after successful appeals by the Evening Press.

A Home Office source said: "People have the right to know the names of these hoodlums."

Meanwhile, police and local authorities will be able to "designate" zones - such as parks, town centres and shopping malls - where gangs of yobs gather. They could act as soon as yobs gather - before trouble breaks out.

The measures - likely to become law in the summer - will also introduce on-the-spot fines of up to £80 for hooligans as young as 16.

Airguns and replicas will be banned from public places, and illegal possession or use of a firearm will be punished by a five-year minimum jail sentence.

Updated: 10:32 Wednesday, March 12, 2003