Foreign beggars are pocketing up to £36,000 a year on the streets of Britain, it was revealed last night.
The gangs, many from eastern Europe, pose as penniless vagrants. But their £700-a-week takings are equivalent to a pre-tax annual income of £50,000.
The easy pickings are turning Britain into the scrounging capital of Europe, politicians fear.
According to police analysis, the beggars target sympathetic shoppers but instead of being homeless down-and-outs some sleep in plush hotels and travel everywhere by taxi.
The problem is set to get worse when our borders are flung open to tens of thousands of Bulgarians and Romanians in just over a fortnight’s time.
Westminster City Council is understood to be concerned about the potential of the problem.
Nickie Aiken, Westminster City Council’s member for community protection, said: “We are all too aware of the anti-social behaviour that comes with persistent beggars sleeping on our streets.
“For many months we have warned the problems we are experiencing now have the potential to worsen and spread across the country. The fact is absolutely no one can predict what will happen in January but we are all aware of what might happen.
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