Torquay town in row over fake homeless campaign

A vigilante campaign to drive ‘fake homeless’ people off the streets of a south Devon town has caused a bitter war of words.

Business owners in Torquay have been photographing and challenging those begging on the streets.

These actions have been slammed by police and the local council who say it encourages vigilantism.

They are also concerned that those who are in real need are being tarred with the same ‘fake homeless’ brush.

Posters have been erected in Torquay threatening beggars that they will be photographed and then shown to authorities to check whether they are genuinely homeless

Although campaigners behind the move to rid the town of people who aren’t actually homeless claim that it has been a great success.

They have erected posters threatening beggars that they will be photographed and then shown to authorities to check whether they are genuinely homeless.  

The chairman of a long standing charity working with Torbay’s homeless has called the new campaign a ‘disgrace’.

The chairman of a long standing charity working with Torbay's homeless has called the new campaign a 'disgrace'

The chairman of a long standing charity working with Torbay’s homeless has called the new campaign a ‘disgrace’

These actions have been slammed by police and the local council who say it encourages vigilantism

These actions have been slammed by police and the local council who say it encourages vigilantism

Nick Pannell said: ‘The persecuting of vulnerable adults on our streets is a disgrace and those involved in encouraging it should be ashamed of themselves.

‘The Fake Homeless Campaign claimed there were 17 beggars in Torquay but only two who were genuinely homeless. How do they know that and what is genuine homelessness?

‘They are not professional beggars changing out of smart designer clothes into rags, but genuinely desperate, sad, lonely, alienated human beings with profound problems who are living at the edge of our communities.’

Ellie Waugh (left) is the founder and chairman of Humanity Torbay who have launched a new campaign called Killing with Kindness

Ellie Waugh (left) is the founder and chairman of Humanity Torbay who have launched a new campaign called Killing with Kindness

The killing with kindness campaign was started to urge people not to give money to beggars and instead give it to charities who provide food and clothing

The killing with kindness campaign was started to urge people not to give money to beggars and instead give it to charities who provide food and clothing

Homeless charity Humanity Torbay have launched a new campaign called Killing with Kindness and urge people not to give money to beggars or the homeless directly but to homeless charities who provide food, clothing and help.

The charity’s Ashley Sims said: ‘One thing these people don’t like is being photographed or filmed, so we’ve gone and done that. 

‘We have identified who is genuine with the relevant charities and their names and if they are homeless or not. Five of them have told us they wont go begging anymore if I don’t out their photo up. 

This is an issue which has spread across the country as according to latest figures there are around  600 homeless people in Cambridgeshire, and police have slammed those in Ely, saying that they are 'frauds' hoping to make money

This is an issue which has spread across the country as according to latest figures there are around 600 homeless people in Cambridgeshire, and police have slammed those in Ely, saying that they are ‘frauds’ hoping to make money

‘Of the 17 photographed, only two were genuine street homeless.’ 

Torbay police inspector Si Jenkinson said: ‘The dangerous practice of ‘outing’ people as professional criminals based on often unverifiable information fails to acknowledge the very complex vulnerabilities and chaotic lives of those concerned.’

In contrast to this police in Ely, Cambridge have claimed every beggar in one city is a fraud who makes a ‘substantial amount of money’.

 However unlike the issue in Ely, police in Torquay have said that those outing the 'fake homeless' are encouraging vigilantism and putting those who are genuinely homeless at risk

 However unlike the issue in Ely, police in Torquay have said that those outing the ‘fake homeless’ are encouraging vigilantism and putting those who are genuinely homeless at risk

Officers have stated there are no genuine rough sleepers in the area, and are concerned the ‘homeless’ are misleading people.

Members of the public are being urged to give them food or warm drinks instead of money. 

Mr Pannell, chairman of Friends of Factory Row, a homeless hostel in Torquay, said: ‘If someone is sitting on the pavement begging it is because they are in crisis and our response should be compassionate, not scapegoating. 

‘Rough sleepers, beggars and drug addicts in Torquay have been subject to tirades of abuse in recent weeks. 

‘It dehumanises them to out them at risk of further marginalisation and even assault.’



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