Durham traders warn beggars are deterring city centre shoppers

Traders say shoppers are being put off visiting Durham city centre by aggressive beggars

Dozens of traders have called for a ban on begging and anti-social behaviour in Durham city centre.

They have urged Durham County Council to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), warning incidents are causing people to shop elsewhere.

Durham Markets Company claimed the area was "becoming renowned for all the wrong reasons".

The council, which consulted over an order earlier this year, said there was "insufficient evidence" to justify one.

A letter to the council signed by about 80 traders on behalf of Durham Markets Company says businesses "don't need any more obstacles put in the way of visitors coming to Durham" with footfall "still fairly low" following the coronavirus pandemic.

It cites "an excess of drugs and drink" as factors contributing to anti-social behaviour with staff and the public "at risk" and "having to be on constant alert".

'Begging so lucrative'

Stewards have been employed to patrol the area, funded by traders, but they say stock is often damaged or stolen.

Durham Markets Company said: "The city centre is becoming renowned for all the wrong reasons and attracting a growing number of such people who, in the main, aren't homeless but find begging so lucrative.

"Open-air drinking, fuelled by drugs, is also clearly a problem and affects the ambience of the city centre which people are working so hard to enhance."

The county council previously considered imposing a PSPO but withdrew the plans in February, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor John Shuttleworth, cabinet member for highways, rural communities and community safety, believes "so-called aggressive begging" is "far less prevalent in Durham" than in other cities across the UK and pointed to neighbourhood wardens issuing fixed-penalty notices to offenders.

He added: "We did consult on creating a Public Space Protection Order, but views from those responding were mixed.

"Ultimately, insufficient evidence was forthcoming to enable a PSPO, but we will continue to work with partners to assess the nature and scale of begging in the city and take whatever steps we consider necessary."