A crackdown on “intimidating” beggars will see wardens dish out £100 fines on Kent’s busiest high street.

Canterbury City Council is to use tough powers brought in following reports of the “unacceptable harassment” of residents and shoppers, particularly next to cash machines.

But the pledge to tackle the issue has sparked fears those in genuine need will be caught in the crossfire of over-zealous wardens.

The issue had city councillors at loggerheads as the impact of introducing a new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) was debated.

It followed the publication of a report by the council’s rough sleeper team, which told how shoppers in the city are being routinely harassed.

“It intimidates and pressures individuals in the city where begging takes place outside of cash points or doorways to shops,” it said.

“There is a level of harassment which is not acceptable and again supports the purchasing of illicit substances fuelling addiction and adding to the vulnerability of those on the street who may be homeless or at risk.

“Begging near cash points is a prevalent issue in Canterbury. Members of the public have raised complaints about feeling pressured and unsafe when approached by beggars near ATMs.

“The presence of individuals loitering in doorways or next to ATMs, often using signage, children, animals, or receptacles to solicit money, has been reported as a cause for concern."

Begging was made illegal under the Vagrancy Act 1824, but the legislation was repealed in June 2022.

Councillors in Canterbury were asked to vote on making “begging” punishable by a £100 fine following the expiry of an old PSPO.

But concerns were raised about the term being too broad - with members from all parties insistent that those in genuine need should not be targeted.

The authority eventually settled on the previous wording of “persistent begging”.

It gives wardens the power to fine those who beg on more than one occasion, covering “all passive and active methods to receive alms”.

Similar regulations are in place in towns across Kent, including Ashford and Folkestone, where PSPOs define the offence as “aggressive begging”.

Elsewhere, Maidstone Borough Council has provisions in place to prohibit “sitting, lying or loitering next to an ATM, in doorways, or similar, for the purpose of begging or using containers or signage”.

Among those who fear they could be impacted by any increased enforcement in Canterbury is Italian-born ‘JC’, who regularly sits among a pile of blankets and clothing in a doorway of the NatWest bank in the high street.

He has been homeless and sleeping rough for some months after losing his job and then his accommodation.

“I don’t harass anyone,” says the 51-year-old former chef.

“It’s not much fun sitting here in the winter but if people give me something, I’m grateful.”

A solitary pound coin lies in his paper cup, and he claims to receive between £5 and £10 a day from ‘donations’.

“There's no way I could pay a £100 fine,” he says, adding: “What would be the point of that? If I had that sort of money I wouldn’t be here today.”

However, the city council assures the rules are not designed to penalise people like JC, saying that its wardens exercise discretion.

"We would only issue a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100 to a beggar that has been behaving badly - such as begging aggressively near cash machines in a way that is designed to intimidate people or being involved in organised begging, sometimes known as professional begging, that often has with links to modern slavery or organised crime,” he said.

"And we would only issue one as a last resort and after we've pursued a number of different avenues.

"Our rough sleeper team would try to engage with the person begging first to establish whether they are homeless and to see what help and support we could give.

"And our enforcement officers will always try to engage, explain and encourage a change in behaviour before taking more formal action."

One beggar in Canterbury was recently filmed using a crutch and limping up to shoppers in the high street, holding out a cup and asking for cash.

The video was shown to the city council’s cabinet member for safety, Cllr Connie Nolan, who says the actions clearly breach the regulations.

“It definitely constitutes persistent begging, but officers will be using an education and engagement approach,” she says.

“They are receiving training in how to engage empathetically so someone clearly begging would be informed about sources of support.”

Charities supporting the homeless, like Catching Lives in Canterbury, encourage people not to give money to beggars, but to direct any donations to organisations like theirs where it can be spent on support services.

But Catching Lives project leader Emma McCrudden fears hitting beggars with fines could be “defeating the object”.

“It’s important to involve other services and discover the reasons why someone is begging and their circumstances,” she says.

“But we have also heard that there are beggars who some believe are not genuine.”

The issue of organised begging is blighting the streets of big cities across the UK, and is reported to be creeping into town centres in Kent.

It typically sees beggars purporting to be destitute dropped into various locations to ‘earn’ money for criminal gangs, with those used often victims of modern slavery.

But Kent Police says it does not have evidence the practice is prevalent in the county.

Det Chief Insp Chris Greenstreet, of Kent Police’s serious and organised crime team, says: “Begging is recognised nationally as an offence which victims of modern slavery are sometimes forced to commit by the organised criminals responsible for their exploitation.

“Other crimes can include pick-pocketing, selling drugs or snatching people’s belongings.

‘While there is nothing to suggest organised begging is currently an issue for Kent in particular, officers are trained to spot the signs of criminal exploitation and to provide appropriate safeguarding and support to anyone suspected of committing offences against their will.

“If any such incidents should occur, all evidence will be investigated thoroughly with a view to bringing those responsible to justice.”