Big Issue to give vendors news stands to stop bogus selling

The move is designed to discourage beggars from using the magazine to solicit money.

The magazine – sold across the UK by homeless people – will try out the stands for its 40 vendors in Bristol, one of the Home Office's pilot anti-begging areas, before deciding whether to roll them out nationally.

Big Issue sellers are banned from begging under the magazine's code of conduct, but people who are not official vendors sometimes obtain copies of the magazine and beg while selling them.

Jeff Mitchell, managing director of the Big Issue South-west, said: "The problem is not legitimate sellers, but beggars getting hold of copies and using them as a front."

If there was a point of sale, then it would all come across as more efficient

Neil White

He said the magazine wanted to introduce news stands for its most experienced Bristol vendors early in the new year. He said: "From our point of view, it would show that they are doing a job like any other news vendor."

Alternatively, registered vendors may be given hats and bibs to mark them out from rogue sellers. The magazine already marks out official selling pitches in Nottingham using plaques.

Mitchell said the Bristol pilot would cost about £500. He said: "We have had some indication that we could get funding through the town centre management or Streetwise (the council's anti-begging team), but without that funding we cannot resource it."

Sue Strickland, single homeless and rough sleeping manager at Bristol council, said: "We have had discussions with the Big Issue about arresting people if they are begging on the back of the issue.

A stand would be useful to keep the magazines safe

Ricky Lloyd

"It gives genuine vendors a bad name and reduces sales. The challenge is to get vendor numbers manageable and legitimate."

The council will pass information on vendors who beg to The Big Issue: in return, the magazine will give the council information about vendors who have been sacked.

The council uses cautions, arrests, antisocial behaviour orders and injunctions against persistent beggars. It also provides drug treatment and housing (HT 17 October, page 11).

It is currently investigating what sort of evidence it needs to arrest people who sit on pavements waiting for money to be given to them without asking for it.