Police investigations into the hordes of "homeless" beggars who inhabit shop doorways around York have finally laid bare what many of us have suspected for years - that a large number of them are lying cheats.

Detectives have uncovered an amazing twilight world of callous rogues travelling to York by train and changing out of their smart clothing to spend their days begging on the streets of the city, mobile phones in their pocket.

Police, concerned about high levels of illegal drug use on the streets, followed beggars into shops and saw them exchange their day's takings in coins for £50 to £80-worth of notes. And they say their recent undercover operations have revealed that the city is attracting benefit cheats from across the country, who are far from being homeless.

It is York's power to attract visitors from all over this country and from all over the world that makes it, in the eyes of the fraudsters, a soft touch.

The city centre is plagued with beggars demanding cash, often in ways which intimidate passers-by. It angers or frightens residents, and visitors leave York with a tarnished impression of our attractive city.

Yet until now it seemed as if the police and the local council were powerless to act.

Let it not be forgotten that some of those holding out the begging bowl are genuine cases, mainly young people who are unable to find or hold down a job, have no home to call their own and who have fallen through the social security net. The various hostels for the homeless and charity workers will testify to the suffering and need.

These people have to be helped but begging on cold, damp streets is not the answer. In any case, they are often social inadequates, people living on the streets, who are vulnerable and are themselves being bullied, robbed and threatened with violence. They, too, need protection from the professional beggars.

Like stealing from a charity collecting box, depriving well-meaning people of their honestly-earned cash by pretending to be in need is the worst sort of callous crime.

Hopefully, police interest will frighten off the bogus beggars who have made easy pickings from plum city centre sites - and will leave more sympathy to go round for those who really are without food and shelter.

see NEWS 'Cheeky beggars'

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