Street beggars are apparently coining in up to £200 a night – equal to a £73,000-a-year salary tax free.
A growing number of 'professional' beggars use the money to supplement income from their normal day jobs, police have revealed.
Last month, Leicestershire Police arrested 20 beggars on the streets of Leicester – none of whom were homeless.
Sgt Adrian Underwood, of Leicestershire Police, said: 'On a good Friday or Saturday, some can pick up £200.
'A lot of well-intentioned people see someone begging and think they are deserving causes. Would they give them money if they knew that person had just come out of a flat, was receiving benefits and had food in the larder?'
One beggar denied anyone could earn £200 in a night but another agreed it was possible.
'Pete', who lives in a hostel where he has help for heroin addiction, said: 'If it was as lucrative as that, everyone would be doing it.'
Toni Soni, head of hostel services at Leicester City Council, said: 'There are people who are professional beggars who are doing it to make a living.'
Since last month, beggars in the city are given three formal warnings to stop harassing shoppers before they can be arrested under the Vagrancy Act.作者: yanny 时间: 2009-8-11 22:25