A man who has been persistently involved in aggressive begging in Leeds city centre despite having a home has been given a five-year order, banning him from begging anywhere in the Leeds district.
David Braithwaite, aged 43, was given a Criminal Behaviour Order when he appeared at Leeds Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to breaching dispersal orders.
The move comes as a result of work by officers from Operation Leodis – a team funded by Leeds City Council to tackle mainly housing-related anti-social behaviour.
Braithwaite, had been begging in Bradford city centre since 2013 and moved to Leeds city centre in 2015. He is frequently seen reaching out to passers-by asking for money and portraying himself as homeless. Checks confirmed he lives at an address in Hunslet and receives housing benefit and employment and support allowance.
Chief Inspector Nick Ireland, of the city’s community safety partnership team said: “It is important that we take a balanced approach, enforcement action is always the last resort. Helping those in genuine need remains a key focus of the partnership work carried out by the police, council and third sector agencies. Unfortunately, there are those that refuse to engage and persist in aggressive begging behaviour that has a detrimental effect on the lives of other people and on the individuals, themselves.”
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