30th June 2024
Following complaints from members of the public and retail outlets in Thame, the Neighbourhood Team recently stop checked a male begging on Grey Hound Walk.
The male has been repeatedly identified in begging offences and claimed he was also homeless. Officers had doubts about some of his claims, and he was arrested for begging.
Although he displayed only 76p in his hat, upon his arrest he was found in possession of over £130 in cash, several MoneyGram and Bank cards, and numerous uneaten snacks, all this before it was even 10:30am! A home address was also identified for the male, so he was de-arrested and reported for the offence of begging.
More widely we are aware of a group of individuals who are exploiting the kindness and generosity of the public. A similar previous incident in Thame found the male to be in possession of nearly £200. We would encourage anyone who would like to provide support to do so via a registered charity to make sure this reaches people genuinely in need.
