CONCERNS about bogus beggars operating in Winchester were raised in a police meeting.

Police say they are aware of the problem and are tackling it with the city council and other agencies.

One officer told the PACT meeting that they know that some of the beggars choose it as a "lifestyle" choice as it is a good income - despite receiving benefits and not being homeless.

It comes after the Hampshire Chronicle reported how one man is believed to make more than £100 a day by bringing a sleeping bag to the city centre and posing as a beggar.

Last November civic chiefs warned how the genuinely needy might be confused for fraudsters.

PCSO Bernadetta Pawlowicz said: "With the begging it is a bit hard for us to tackle because we have to hear them asking for money and hear them beg.

“Some of them are quite sneaky and have a recorder on them so if they us they talk to each other and they will move, most of the time they will get a summons to court for begging some of them have ASBOS.”

"Some of them are not even homeless they prefer to sleep outside because they know they will get a lot of money."

She pointed to some homeless people telling police they are playing an instrument, and are not begging.

PCSO's pointed out two cases of "bogus" beggars in Winchester, and say that one man who is on benefits and lives in a different county refuses to move on and continues to beg, and a woman who lives at an address in Winchester (flat in Hyde Street) but begs and says she is homeless to the public.

They also believe a man who is seen playing music in Winchester is also a potential bogus beggar.

PCSO Pawlowicz added: "There are few people that are actually homeless, most of them had a chance to be rehomed or housed but they chose not to."

Police say they are working with the city council to tackle the problem head on and are also encouraging people to use Winchester Business Improvement District's Spare Change for Real Change scheme, which encourages people to support the homeless without giving in the street, through putting money in collection boxes.

PCSO Dawn Gretton urged people to help police by reporting the problem.

PC Gretton said: "If you see someone begging please call 101 and we can deal with it, we are trying to ask the public to report it to us."