WALK around central York for any length of time and you will be stopped and asked for money.

British manufacturing may be in decline, but our begging industry is flourishing. Residents of every wealthy, tourist city know that.

People react in different ways when approached by beggars. Some give; some walk away; many feel intimidated; all feel uncomfortable.

So it is no surprise that York police are inundated with complaints about begging.

Yesterday officers launched one of their periodic crackdowns. They are right to act. Begging is a crime. Aggressive begging is unpleasant and frightening. The money made is often spent on drugs and alcohol. Addiction fuels more crime.

The police want to rid the city of beggars. That ambition will enjoy the support of most York residents.

Sweep the beggars off the streets, and our consciences would never be troubled again by the sight of a filthy, outstretched hand. But that would not solve the problem, just transfer it elsewhere. Sooner, rather than later, the beggars will be back in York.

Begging is a social problem, and one the police can no more stop than domestic violence or prostitution.

Officers have a duty to respond to complaints and stop crime, but if we really want an end to begging we must look to heal the divisive society we have created.

Beggars who have a comfortable home to go to are in the minority. Most people do not choose to live on the streets: cruel circumstance has dumped them there. It is little wonder that they seek an escape through drugs or alcohol.

We are pleased that beggars with a drug habit are offered support through an arrest referral scheme. With society's support, genuinely homeless people can be lifted out of miserable poverty and given a fresh start.

This is a more difficult option than simply clearing them from the streets every few months. But it is the right thing to do.

Updated: 10:45 Wednesday, January 30, 2002