26 September 2023 , 21:49
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A homeless man has been banned from asking people for money after making over £20,000 a year from generous locals.
James Chamber was making £420 every week by begging and pleading with people for cash outside a McDonald’s in Lincoln city centre. The 30-year-old would receive a mixture of money, goods and food from kind-hearted strangers, a court heard. But now Chambers, who made almost £1,700 every month, tax-free, has been ordered to stop asking for money and banned from begging in the city centre after he was hauled in front of a court. He was handed a criminal behaviour order (CBO) prohibiting him from "sitting on the floor or otherwise placing himself in a position to gather money."
Chambers, of no fixed abode, was also banned from approaching anyone to ask for money or goods within the city of Lincoln boundary. Police and council officers also found he had earned up to £60 a day over nine months along the High Street, and in other parts of the city. Chambers was convicted of 13 begging offences and one public order offence dating back to February at Lincoln Magistrates' Court on September 15. He was also given a 12-month conditional discharge alongside his three-year CBO, which could land him in jail for up to five years if he were to breach it.
Lincoln Inspector Steve Parker, said: "We do everything we can to work with support agencies like housing, addiction charities and mental health services to reduce offending by individuals while ensuring we protect the public from any harm they might cause. We live and work in this community as well, and making the city centre a safe and enjoyable place to visit matters to us and our families. Hopefully, people visiting and working in Lincoln can now feel a little more relaxed that they won't be approached as Chambers' begging is going to reduce significantly. If he does beg in the city centre again, this will be a breach of his court order."
A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson added: "We keep a continued watch of people who we have issued CBOs for, in partnership with the City of Lincoln Council, and we proactively release their image so that members of the community have the opportunity to stay clear of their offending, and are more able to report an incident if one occurs. If you have an incident you feel needs police attention, please contact us on 101."
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