PEOPLE could be encouraged to donate to homeless charities rather than beggars under a new Bradford Council project.

Officers are working on proposals that could see posters urging people to support homeless charities rather than street beggars.

The idea was outlined at a meeting for city centre retailers and businesses who have expressed concern at the extent of begging across the city.

Shop owners said their staff were feeling intimidated by beggars at locations including Bradford Forster Square railway station.

Jonny Noble, the council’s city centre manager, said it was important to strike the right balance on such a sensitive issue.

He suggested people would be better off giving money to charities offering food and shelter, rather than to street beggars.

He told the retail forum: “The question is how we educate people not to give money to beggars but to give money to shelter providers.”

Mr Noble said people were posing as homeless in order to dupe people out of their cash.

“We know people who are not homeless but pretend to be homeless and sit in sleeping bags outside The Broadway (shopping centre).”

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He said the council was looking at producing publicity material which would raise the issue of giving money directly to good causes.

The meeting heard about plans to improve the look of Forster Square station, including small-scale improvements such as new hanging baskets, in order to create a better “first impression” for visitors.

But one retail manager, who runs a store in The Broadway centre, said spending money on a station revamp was a waste of time and money unless the issue of homeless people was resolved.

The manager, who did not want to be named, said: “I get the train to Forster Square and every day homeless people are there - sometimes five or six people, sometimes more at Christmas. They have their own little home set up there. It’s really sad but there’s no point putting that money into Forster Square.

“It would be better to have a PCSO there. I have girls (working in the store) who visit the station and feel unsafe - that’s the issue.”

Mr Noble said the council received daily reports of problems at the station but, sadly, some homeless people were refusing assistance.

“Some don’t want to engage - they don’t want to live in a hostel as they feel more comfortable when they have a choice of where to sleep,” he said.

He said it was a sensitive subject as many people would not be comfortable if homeless people were forced to move along.