Telling people what to do in this way is ridiculous

Rory Gillert, Big Issue

A government spokesman said: "What we are saying to people is if you give money to people on the streets, they may not be homeless at all. They may just be there to fund a drug habit."

The plan has been broadly supported by the Salvation Army, which works with homeless people across the UK.

But other homeless organisations have criticised the �240,000 advertising campaign which will appear in national newspapers and magazines from the end of November.

Rory Gillert of the Big Issue magazine said: "Telling people what to do in this way is ridiculous.

Homelessness debate

"Often people who are begging are not actually homeless. They are in poverty but living in a hostel or somewhere like that. Not giving to them doesn't help get people off the streets at all," he told The Observer newspaper.

UK Salvation Army Commissioner Alex Hughes said targeted donations were the only way of ensuring funds achieve maximum benefit.

He told the BBC there was always some "doubt" about how money given to beggars is going to be used.

"I think you have to use common sense, I think you have to look at every situation as it is.

"If I speak as a leader of an organisation that's active in working amongst the homeless I would prefer people who are going to give a lot of money to give it to us so that we can then meet the specific needs."

Government target

The campaign comes a year after "homelessness czar" Louise Casey, sparked anger by describing handouts to beggars as "misplaced goodwill".

The government's Rough Sleepers Unit aims to reduce the number of people sleeping on the streets from 1,850 in 1998 to 620 by 2002.

The current figure is said to be 1,200 although some experts warn that the true level of rough sleeping may be much higher as homeless people can be missed in "audits".