No beggars to be seen at a notorious hotspot in Brighton

In the multicultural London borough of Brent, officers concentrated on clearing abandoned cars, while in the hip seaside city of Brighton, a campaign has been waged against begging.

But have the trailblazer campaigns really made a difference or are residents as fed up as ever about low-level crime blighting their communities?

Martha Buckley and Clare Babbidge found out:

Anyone familiar with the city of Brighton and Hove will be aware that as well as being the south coast's capital of cool, it has long-standing problems with homelessness, begging, street drinking and drug abuse.

For a year now, the city's beggars have been targeted by the local authorities, using Asbos to exclude known troublemakers and aggressive beggars from parts of the city and enforcing a ban on street drinking.

Outreach teams have been patrolling the streets offering support to tackle some of the root causes of begging, including drug and alcohol abuse, and offering counselling and help with housing to those who need it.

The authorities says the scheme has been a success, with an audit in October revealing just 12 beggars working the city's streets compared with 33 regular beggars and some 20 transient beggars in 2003.

It's terrible here. There are people asking for money and being rude to people. They think the world owes them a living Dorothy Gayler

In reality, it often feels as though there are a lot more than that.

A stroll through the city on Thursday morning seemed to give credence to the official line - there were few beggars in sight.

But many residents seemed to be unaware of the trailblazer scheme.

John Tungay, 67, of Hove said: "I wasn't aware of this initiative but I certainly am aware of aggressive begging and general anti-social behaviour.

"I was at Brighton station the other day and there was a guy asking for money so I said 'Alright I'll give you 20p.' I took out my money and he saw there were a couple of pound coins and he said 'You've got a nugget there. Why can't you give me that.'

" I think it's pretty common. I haven't really noticed any decrease in the last year, though I have noticed a few more police around."

On St James's Street, one of the city's most notorious begging hotspots, many passers-by seemed unaware of the work being done.

Opinion seemed divided between those who considered beggars a mostly harmless nuisance and those who found beggars frightening or intimidating.

Dorothy Gayler, 84, said: "It's terrible here. There are people asking for money and being rude to people. They think the world owes them a living.

There are a lot of beggars. I don't really mind it but it upsets my mum. She goes and buys them a cup of coffee or something Jade Cooper

"I just ignore them. If they are playing an instrument and they are good then I don't mind but if they are just sitting there with wine in one hand and cigarettes in the other then that's different."

Her husband Donald Gayler, 79, said: "It doesn't get any better. They keep saying they are going to do something about it but they chase them away and then they are back a few weeks later."

Most said they had simply got used to ignoring the outstretched hands and appeals for spare change and looking the other way as they walked past the scrawled cardboard signs.

Diana Gill, 56, of Hove, said: "I did know about the scheme because I read about it in the local paper. I think it has made a difference. I'm not aware of so many beggars around. I do think it's positive that something is being done about it."

Jade Cooper, 18, said: "There are a lot of beggars. I don't really mind it but it upsets my mum. She goes and buys them a cup of coffee or something.

"I don't give them money because sometimes they don't actually look homeless and you know they could go and spend the money on drugs or whatever."

Meanwhile, in Brent, the London-wide trailblazer scheme Operation Scrap It has been cracking down on the dozens of cars being abandoned on streets and waste ground.

Operation Scrap It has led to the removal of around 1030 vehicles in Brent during the last year, said a Brent Council spokesman. It follows on from the council's own crackdown on dumped cars.

The scheme, which gradually went London-wide after its launch last year, includes a bid for all abandoned and untaxed vehicles to be cleared off streets within 72 hours of being reported.

Abandoned vehicles are towed away and crushed and a free service is offered to help residents get rid of their unwanted cars.

I think there has been a big improvement over cars and things are much better generally now that street wardens are looking out for who is dumping what Laurence Foley

Opinion in the borough appears split between those who welcome the action and those who were unaware of the problem in the first place.

Louise Conory, 32, of Queen's Park, says she has certainly seen a 'slight improvement' during the last year.

"Six to eight months ago, there were a lot more. More towards the Kensal Rise area than Queen's Park," she said.

"But there are loads in Willesden Green. There are not too many round here. The residents' association would kick up a stink if a car is dumped."

However, Ron Brewster said he had not seen much of a problem with abandoned cars in the Willesden area.

He said: "There is a small problem with graffiti. But there is not really a problem with cars. We are very reasonable people."

Some Willesden Green residents did agree with Louise Conory's assertion that there had been a problem of abandoned cars in the town.

Anna Oconer, 16, said: "I think it has got a lot better. But they need to do something about other stuff on the streets, such as graffiti. It has got worse. "

There is a small problem with graffiti. But there is not really a problem with cars. We are very reasonable people Ron Brewster

Laurence Foley, who runs a Willesden Green shop, said:

"I think there has been a big improvement over cars and things are much better generally now that street wardens are looking out for who is dumping what.

"Also shops now need licences before they can leave furniture and things outside their shops on the streets."

One problem of abandoned vehicles is that they can cause other forms of antisocial behaviour in the areas where they dumped as they may be targeted by vandals and 'firebugs', the Association of London Government said.

Brent resident Matthew Stephens, 20, said a car dumped outside his home had been attacked by vandals.

He said: "There was one parked outside my house for about two years. A burnt-out Volvo. That's what seems to happen to abandoned cars."

He added that it had been removed about three months ago.

But a Queen's Park shopkeeper, who gave his name only as Milan, said he had not seen any improvement.

He said: "I have seen a car in Kingsbury, dumped on the roundabout for 15 days. I couldn't believe my eyes, police cars driving past it all the time. We are not getting value for money. "

"I live in Brent and have a shop in Brent and I have seen lots of dumped cars. Some have a sign on them that they will be removed, but they are still there for another eight to 10 months."

However, any cars causing an obstruction to traffic were removed quickly, the 39-year-old added.