Cambridge homelessness: Injunctions 'helping rough sleepers'

Cambridge City Council said injunctions to prevent begging and rough sleeping is helping those served an order

The use of injunctions against people sleeping rough and begging have encouraged them to seek support, according to a council.

Cambridge City Council said most of the five men and a woman banned from sleeping on the city centre's streets had taken an offer of help.

Police said the group had brought "misery" to people due to aggressive begging, drug use and intimidation.

The orders last for two years and bans people from lying down in the streets.

They also prevent them from taking drugs, begging while under the influence of drink or drugs, dropping litter and intimidating others.

The six people have also been banned from the car parks at the Grafton Centre and Grand Arcade and their associated stairwells, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Cambridge City Council said its injunction policy was "tough" but was helping some rough sleepers

Sgt Kevin Misik, from Cambridgeshire Police, said the injunctions should help make people change their minds when it came to accepting support from the council or charities.

"What [the injunctions] will do is, it will change the risk and reward, instead of saying actually I can act in an entirely consequence-free manner," he said.

Police said a meeting with market traders found a number of stallholders "whose lives are really being made quite difficult" by the begging.

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Sarah Steggles, senior antisocial behaviour officer at the council, said: "It is a tough action to take, but it does have some positive outcomes sometimes.

"They are now engaging with support and they are accessing the [available] accommodation, which has been really positive.

"With all these individuals it's very much up and down and we hope we can get them to the point where they engage and remain safe."