News

The government is expected to publish its white paper on antisocial behaviour this week, with a strong pledge to tackle street beggars and prevent children from behaving antisocially.

Winning Back Our Communities is expected to contain details about making begging a recordable offence so that convictions would form part of a criminal record.

The white paper is not expected to contain information on cutting child benefit payments to parents of children who truant or offend. However, it is likely to consider extending fixed penalty notices to young people aged 16 and 17 on a trial basis and potentially to children aged 10 to 16.

Shaks Ghosh, chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis, said any plans to make begging a recordable offence were "inappropriate, ineffective, costly" and would not work.