Beggars coming to Leeds from outside the area to ask public for cash, police say

At a meeting Mark Burns-Williamson touched on the issue of aggressive begging, and said that officers were aware that some beggars may "come into an area from outside" to ask the public for cash.

He said it is something that the force wants to improve, along with the numbers of people rough sleeping.

Mr Burns-Williamson said: "We all know about the problems the high street is facing at the moment with shop closures.

"It's important we help make these areas places where the public they can go."

The West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has said he wants to improve the region's record on homelessness and street begging.

Rough sleeping is estimated to have risen by around 30% across Yorkshire in the last five years, while at least 16 homeless people have died in the county since October 2017.

Asked at a PCC panel meeting how the police was working with local authorities and the voluntary sector on the issue, Mr Burns-Williamson said: "It's very sad that in this day and age we're talking about huge increases in homelessness and in the use of food banks.

"On homelessness there's always room for improvement, but some of that is down to a lack of resources and availability among other partners, and not just those of the police."