‘Genuinely homeless need help’ - Your reaction as Preston is set to get a new warden to tackle begging

The city’s Business Improvement District is looking to recruit a part-time warden to steer people off the streets and towards help - or help with prosecuting people behaving anti-socially.

Those behind the scheme say people who are genuinely homeless and in trouble will be offered help.

Others who refuse assistance and are considered a nuisance could be served with enforcement notices, and could even face court. Authorities have previously asked the public not to give money directly to beggars, as not all are genuinely homeless.

We asked for your views on our Facebook page:

"The idea of giving money to help people who are in a rough patch is a brilliant one that is why they opened up the Foxton Centre so they could go there."

Trish Breakell

"Help them home them! Open empty buildings up for them with a hot meal. More help means less of a struggle .. offer support for them to come off the drugs /drink!! So many of them are suffering with mental health. Lack of support from the Government is causing this mess!!"

Sarah Worgan

"About time. I feel so uncomfortable walking around town with my baby Makes my feel unsafe it’s not nice at all need to be moved I’ve been saying this for years."

Lisa Ann Ball

"Help for the genuine ones would be better appreciated."

John Harvey

"I doubt many of the homeless feel particularly safe either!"

Kate Galloway

"How about spending the money to tackle the issues of mental health and the homeless. People are quick to shoot from the lip. If it was them sleeping rough or suffering then they would be singing a very different tune!!"

Richard Calvert

"Begging and homelessness are two separate issues, both need addressing with empathy and compassion. These are human beings."

John Jamieson

"I sympathise with the genuine cases and in particular service veterans."

Phil Billsborough

"Having read the article, it seems like help will be offered to those that need or want it, and the persistent beggars will be dealt with. All sounds fair enough."

Iain Marsh

"Support the Foxton Centre who do a wonderful job dealing with the genuine homeless people who need help and a hand up not a handout."

Ann Atkin

"The wardens would be better employed in finding out the true destitute ones and giving a helping hand, with on the spot fines for the imposters."

Mary Taylor

"So spend money on people to move them on. Wouldn’t it be better spending it on trying to keep them off the streets."

Lee Coop

"So some jobsworth is going to make genuinely homeless people’s lives a misery ? How festive. Must be Christmas soon eh?"

Paul Woody