A WOMAN has been prevented from entering the Fareham Town Centre after she begged people for food and money.

Rebecca Connelly, 28, from Fareham, was issued a criminal behaviour order after pleading guilty to several offences of begging and public order incidents at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court today.

The offences occurred in Fareham town centre between August and November this year.

The court heard Connelly, would approach people in the street, businesses and motorists in their cars, asking for food and money.

Magistrates have handed her a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order, which lasts until November 2021.

The conditions, which will be advertised locally to retailers in the town centre, include not to enter, sleep, or remain in area of the town centre - including car parks - specified by the court, unless an appointment has already been made with a specified service.

Other conditions include not to sleep or remain in any residential communal block or hall way if they are not a resident of that building in the borough of Fareham and Gosport and not to approach a member of the public and actively ask for money, goods or sit or loiter outside any premises for the purposes of begging in the boroughs of Fareham and Gosport.

Officers have also said not to approach any member of the public in a vehicle, attend someone's private residence or any commercial premises and ask for money or transportation to a different area in the boroughs of Fareham and Gosport

The final condition involves not to leave drug paraphernalia in a public place, as members of public could come into harm from these items in the borough of Fareham or Gosport.

Neighbourhoods Policing Team Inspector Richard Thompson said: “This has taken a lot of hard work from my team and the officer leading the case, PC Karen Stevenson, but it was in the best interest of our community.

“We hope that businesses and residents are reassured that we will take action against those who persistently break the law in this way.

“We know that anti-social behaviour can have a negative impact on those who work and live in the town, and we will look at all powers available to us to bring those responsible to justice.”