A MAN has been banned from begging across the country after terrorising the street community of Brighton.
Stephen Prince, 39, has been banned from Brighton and Hove for two years after being violent towards the homless and begging persistently in the city.
Prince, of no fixed address, was given a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) by Brighton magistrates after the court heard that he had assaulted a member of the street community and had been begging on an almost daily basis in Queens Road.
A Sussex Police spokeswoman said Prince refused to engage with the force or any other agencies who offered to help him.
Sergeant Andy Newman, of Sussex Police, said: "We were aware that many of the street community were terrified of Prince. The order banning him from the city will send out a clear message to them that we will support them and when necessary will challenge persistent offenders like Prince who use homelessness as an excuse to commit crime.
"We have tried to help Prince by offering him support from agencies for a number of months but he refused. This left us no choice but to pursue this course of action."
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