Police crackdown on street begging in Cradley Heath
Police have launched a crackdown on street begging in Cradley Heath following complaints from traders.
An Anti-Social Behaviour Dispersal Order, which gives officers the power to move people on, will be in place this weekend in the High Street.
It is hoped it will put an end to the street begging that has been taking place outside shops and cash machines.
Councillor Anne Shackleton, who represents the Cradley Heath and Old Hill ward, said that shop keepers had contacted her because of the rise in beggars over recent weeks.
She said: "It is putting people off from shopping as it can be quite intimidating if they go to use an ATM too."
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "It is a short-term measure in response to street begging."
The dispersal order is a flexible power which could be used in a range of situations to disperse anti-social individuals and provide immediate respite to a local community.
