A crackdown on town centre begging was today hailed a success - even though no beggars were dealt with.

Police teams moved in to deal with persistent beggars who pester shoppers in the centre of Hove for cash. But they found that word of their blitz had got out and none of the beggars they usually deal with were at their regular spots.

Hove police planned to issue warning notices to anyone caught begging in shopping areas which included Western Road, Church Road, George Street and Blatchington Road.

Beggars could then face arrest and prosecution if they continued to be stopped by the police. And a fourth offence could lead to legal action by Brighton and Hove Council which may take out an injunction banning individual beggars from the town centre.

PC Marvin Lucas said: "We decided on this initiative after a lot of complaints recently from residents and traders. We have had three serious incidents involving beggars in Hove in the last six months, including a murder in Church Road.

"We want to remove aggressive begging from the streets of Hove completely and will keep this operation going for as long as is necessary. Word has obviously got out that we would be out checking the begging haunts in town today and there are no beggars to be seen. It means we have achieved our aim and been successful in deterring the beggars."

PC Lucas said the operation had the backing of the council and local agencies for the homeless. He said those who were on the streets because they were genuinely homeless were not being targeted.

Meanwhile Chief Constable Paul Whitehouse took time out on a divisional visit to Hove to walk around the town with one of his community beat officers. PC Ian Cheesman took Mr Whitehouse on a tour of his beat, which covers an area from Boundary Road to Braemore Road.

And Mr Whitehouse was quick to praise the work of his officers and staff in tackling crime in Hove. Mr Whitehouse said: "They have been particularly successful in their work in dealing with burglaries. As a result of Operation Bat, which targeted burglars, they have already exceeded their target rate for detecting burglaries for the year."

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