THE police and Wrexham Council have joined forces to crackdown on begging in the town.

After a spike in begging, Amanda Davies the council's town centre manager has sent out a letter to businesses to assure them police are targeting hotspots.

Support is also being offered to those begging, but those who are persistent could be targeted with a fixed penalty notice or even taken to court.

In the letter, seen by the Leader, Ms Davies is calling on businesses for their support in helping to clampdown on the problem.

She said: "There has been an increase in reports of begging in the streets of the town centre over the past few weeks, which has resulted in a number of complaints from the general public and some businesses.

"As an attempt to combat the issue of begging, a joint initiative between the council, North Wales Police and third sector agencies was launched on Tuesday May 1.

"Locations where begging is happening will be targeted and persistent offenders will be offered support however, if they continue with their actions this will result in formal action being taken.

"Some individuals are begging on the basis that they are homeless and not in receipt of any benefits. By working closely with our partners we have established that, in many instances this is not the case."

"For this to be an effective initiative, we will need co-operation and support from all town centre businesses.

"If you witness any individual begging in the town centre please email communitysafety@wrexham.gov.uk or alternatively use the crimelink radio. You can also report incidents via 101.

"Partners will consider each report and when necessary a fixed penalty notice will be issued to the individual concerned. It is important to note that this will require a statement from the individual / business that witnessed the act and may require attendance at court at a later date for evidence.

"Please help us to work together to tackle this issue to help ensure that Wrexham is a safe place to visit and shop."