Rochdale man 'travelled to beg at Manchester Christmas Markets to earn £50 per hour,' police say

Stock image: homeless man

A Rochdale man reportedly travelled to the Manchester Christmas Markets to earn up to £50 per hour begging, according to city centre police officers.

Officers posted online on Sunday (25 November) that they had arrested three city centre beggars on Saturday, including a man from Rochdale who was making “up to £50 an hour begging at the Christmas Markets.”

Police say a second man had a sign saying ‘It’s not for booze or drugs’ but then tested positive for crack cocaine.

All three arrested have been referred for drug appointments, with city centre officers saying that “99 percent of beggars” they arrest “are addicts or alcoholics.”

The officer added: “99% of beggars we arrest are either heroin, crack cocaine, Spice addicts or alcoholics, whether they rough sleep or not. Those without addictions don't beg for food or money as they attend the numerous official drop-ins, don't have complex needs and get off the streets quickly.

“There is plenty of help for those willing to accept it.”

Locally, Big Change Rochdale aims to help vulnerable people begging to get the help they need to stay off the streets.

The Big Change campaign is spearheaded by Rochdale Town Centre Management with support from Petrus, Stepping Stone Projects, Rochdale Foodbank, Sanctuary Trust, the council and the police and is designed to support people who are sleeping rough in Rochdale at the moment, and others who beg in the town centre.

The campaign urges people who live in, work in and visit Rochdale centre to donate money to the fund if they want to help vulnerable people who are forced into begging for money on the streets and rough sleepers, rather than give money directly to people who are begging on the streets.

According to Big Change Rochdale, research suggests that giving people money does not help them move away from the streets and may be discouraging people from accessing support services.

100% of donations to Big Change will go directly to the charities:

bigchangerochdale.co.uk/donate-to-the-campaign/