Homeless people hit with £100 on-the-spot fines they have no way of paying

Rough sleepers have been hit with more than 420 fixed penalties for begging or loitering despite having no money to pay the £100 charges.

Now there are calls to end this cruel punishment of vulnerable people.

Figures we obtained using Freedom of Information laws show 30 local authorities issued 428 tickets in three years.

Top of the league was Doncaster, South Yorks, with 78 on-the-spot fines followed by Bolton, Greater Manchester, on 48 and Wrexham, NE Wales with 46.

During the pandemic, councils have been told to get people off the streets to protect them.

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In that time Doncaster issued only one fine and Bolton none.

Now there are demands for a change when normality returns.

Labour ’s Neil Coyle, head of Parliament’s cross-party group on the issue, said: “Homeless people are literally destitute.

“I doubt fines will ever be fully paid.

“It is a waste of police time and admin and bureaucracy costs to the councils.”

The Local Government Association said: “Anti-social behaviour offences are serious.

“Councils take a proportionate approach using the tools at their disposal.”