Police to visit Erdington as ‘aggressive beggars’ target Tyburn Road

An Erdington resident has expressed concerns over what he calls ‘aggressive beggars’ operating in the city suburb, as police reveal they will be visiting the area to assess the situation.

The man, who wished remain anonymous, told BirminghamWorld that people begging on the streets of Erdington - specifically outside the Lidl store on Tyburn Road and by the traffic lights next to the M6 on the road when there is slow moving traffic - were causing issues for locals.

He said that people were relocating from the city centre to Erdington with a specific intention to beg. When BirminghamWorld contacted West Midlands Police about the problems, the force urged residents to call them when the issue arises - so they can record any incidents to assess the problem.

The resident told Birmingham World: “I got approached by one beggar and when I didn’t give him any money he was very aggressive to me. It’s been going on for over a year now.”

He told our reporter that many people in the area were affectd. “I’m hearing off pensioners who are neighbours of mine who shop on the Tyburn Road and Kingsbury Road. They’re getting approached by aggressive beggars and they’re not taking no for an answer,” he said.

“They’re also walking amongst the cars when there’s traffic on Tyburn Road to beg, which is dangerous as it could cause an accident. I see them when i’m my way home from work at 11pm. It’s getting beyond a joke.”

The resident says some of the beggars have been issued dispersal notices from Birmingham City Council but he claims that many keep returning to the area. Police are also able to issue Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO) against persistent offenders.

Data shows that aggressive begging has begun to impact the city more in recent years - in 2021, the number of aggressive begging cases in Birmingham shot up by 26%. There were 1,105 reports in April and October 2021, compared with 872 in the same period in 2020.

Council members at the time said they had received reports of organised gangs being dropped off in vans to target motorists stuck in traffic in Birmingham. And a Street Tasking Partnership Group (STPG) was set up by Birmingham City Council in October 2020 to address begging.

What has West Midlands Police said about the beggars?

A spokeswoman for WMP said: “We have not been made aware of any issues recently, however we are aware that from time to time this issue arises. In the past we have moved people on, we have also offered support for anyone we feel is vulnerable.

“We listen to concerns from our local residents and businesses and we have issued Community Protection Warnings. These warnings are issued to people we believe are involved in anti-social behaviour that affects communities and people’s quality of life.

“We would encourage people to call us when this issue arises so we can record any incidents, this will allow us to understand the scale of the problem and to put measures in place to reduce it. We will be visiting the area to speak to the local community and to assess the situation.”

Lidl has been approached for comment on this story