A DRIVE to rid Swindon town centre of beggars is working. Campaign co-ordinators say the crackdown has led to a dramatic fall in the number of vagrants harassing shoppers for cash.

Town centre manager Bernie Maguire, one of those behind Swindon Street Safe, said: "Traders have noticed a real difference, shoppers feel safer and people using cashpoint machines aren't being harassed for money.

"The trouble is that when you have a few beggars, it encourages more.

"You rapidly find yourself in a situation where visitors think your town is full of beggars."

Over the last three months police have been targeting drifters.

When the clampdown was launched, the town centre was attracting about 18 beggars a day.

Police said they were duping shoppers into giving them cash to buy drugs, earning up to £10 an hour.

Now, collection boxes have been distributed to shops including BHS, House of Fraser, Woolworths and Debenhams.

These allow shoppers to give cash to homeless charities which help those genuinely in need.

Shops taking part display posters with slogans like: "Ninety per cent of money given to beggars goes to drug dealers."

The cash will go to organisations like Threshold Housing Link and the Salvation Army's centre for homeless, Davis House.

Next month, the poster campaign will be extended to include public buildings like libraries and leisure centres.

Exclusion zones will also be painted around cashpoint machines to stop them being used as begging spots.

Besides targeting town centre beggars, police have also been patrolling multi-storey car parks, which have been used by the homeless.

Those picked up have been re-housed in hostels.

Coun Brian Ford, Swindon Council's, lead member for community safety, said: "Working with all departments, we have been able to help those people living in car parks, which has been causing a nuisance for the public

"I think the town centre is now more pleasant and we will not hesitate to take similar action in the future if necessary."

Tamash Lal