A senior Inverness police officer and the head of Crimestoppers in the Highlands have expressed concerns over aggressive and intimidating beggars targeting shoppers.

The gangs of two or more are crowding shoppers as they leave stores or supermarkets and demanding money. The beggars are also standing by cash machines and asking for cash from those withdrawing money.

And Chief Inspector Donald Henderson told the Highland News that Northern Constabulary is aware of the situation and he has instructed the new city centre community officer to investigate the problem.

He said: "I get the feeling there may be more incidents of this nature happening.

"We have heard of it. We now have a dedicated community beat officer for the city centre and I have asked her to look into this.

Ch Insp Henderson added: "When you start to get a number of unemployed and displaced persons, then it can be a concern. I don't think that we can keep this kind of thing out of the city, it is already happening.

"With issues related to drugs, homelessness and immigration it is going to happen. We are too far down the road not to have this problem "However, if we do see this happening or if it is reported to us, it will be taken seriously, investigated and people will be charged with breach of the peace.

In the past few weeks there has been an increase of beggars working in pairs tapping money off bystanders at bus stops, cash machines or exiting shops.

One member of the public who wished to remain anonymous told of his experiences with suspected drug addicts looking for money.

He said: "I was standing in a city centre supermarket buying food for the house when I noticed two men watching me hand over money and collecting my change.

"When I left the store they approached me in an aggressive manner and one of the pair demanded I hand over change.

"As I said I never had any, the other one butted in and called me a liar, and insisted he'd seen me get change from the cashier.

"I was pretty shocked and the pair were adamant but I just walked past them. A few of the elderly women I talk to in the shops have also complained about this style of begging.

"It is very aggressive and intimidating. If I was an elderly person or a woman it could be quite a scary situation to be in."

Jim Ferguson, chairman of both Crimestoppers for the Highlands and the Inverness Crime Prevention Panel (ICCP), expressed concerns for the future because of the increasing population and the possibility of more homeless people on the streets of the city.

He added: "Over the next 12-18 months, if the numbers coming into the city continue to rise there will be an even greater demand on the police.

"This is a no-nonsense city – we have a first class police force – one of the best in the UK. However, there is a strong feeling out there that enough is enough and we are not putting up with this or any other forms of anti-social behaviour any longer.

"I want to encourage people to contact the police or Crimestoppers to report this kind of criminal activity.

"This type of behaviour can be very intimidating to elderly or vulnerable people. The police force can only do something about it if they are told about it."

c.hay@highland-news.co.uk

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