'Big Issue' founder: ignore beggars

The founder of the homeless magazine The Big Issue has attacked good samaritans who give money to people on the streets, saying it perpetuates the problem of vagrancy.

John Bird, MBE, who was himself a beggar for 20 years before he started the magazine, is also calling for laws allowing the removal of people sleeping rough to be enforced.

Mr Bird said: "People who give are murdering whatever chance those people have of getting off the streets. By giving them money you are effectively cementing them on to the streets because you are not giving them an alternative to street existence."

In his article "Retreat from the Streets" for the think-tank Politeia, he said the authorities should move the homeless into proper accommodation by enforcing the laws against vagrants and begging.

"You have to use coercion, you can't just leave it to liberal conscience," he said. "Liberal conscience doesn't work on this one any more." He explained that his radical change of views came about after seeing unpleasant scenes, including street people being refused medical treatment.

But charities are likely to react fiercely to Mr Bird's comments. A spokesman for Shelter, the homeless charity, said: "If you want to give money, give money. Many people turn to begging because they have no other source of income. If you take that away, there's crime or prostitution."