Councils were this week awaiting the verdict in a test case that could give them the green light to threaten persistent beggars with imprisonment.
Manchester council and police have asked a county court to grant an injunction against 57-year-old Leonard Hockey, who is addicted to crack and heroin and has been arrested for begging 97 times.

Hockey appeared in court on 11 August and will receive a judgment on 21 August.

If the injunction is granted and Hockey breaks it, he faces up to two years in jail for contempt of court. Beggars are not usually jailed because imprisonment is not allowed as a punishment under the 1824 Vagrancy Act.

Civil injunctions have been granted against beggars in the past – a man was jailed for breaching one in Bristol this year – but none has been challenged until now.

Urban authorities, including Liverpool, are understood to be following the case closely.

Manchester council has said beggars ruin the city's image.

But c harities and campaigners roundly condemned the threat of prison. A Shelter spokesman said: "Shelter does not support the use of custodial sanctions to tackle begging. Imprisoning him will not resolve his addiction problem but will increase the risk of him ending up homeless."

Richard Kemp, vice-chair of the Local Government Association's housing subcommittee, said: "This man needs rehab, not prison."

Source

Housing Today