A man from Birkenhead has been banned from begging in Wirral.

Gareth Lambert, aged 28, from Oriel Road was given a five-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) banning him from approaching or engaging with any member of the public in any public place in Wirral to ask for money, cigarettes or to use their mobile phone.

Magistrates in Wirral have also forbidden him from causing harrassment, alarm or distress to any member of the public in Wirral and have given him an exclusion zone preventing him from entering the areas bounded by Union Street, Sidney Road, Allerton Road, Pearson Road, Argyle Street South, the flyover and Cambletown Road. This incorporates Rock Retail Park which is the area most affected by his offending.

Lambert received the ASBO on Friday, March 28 after he was sentenced at Wirral Magistrates' Court on March 12 for an offence of begging at Claughton Road, Birkenhead on January 29, 2014.

Neighbourhood Inspector Duncan Swan said the ASBO had been imposed to curb Lambert's offending and protect the community from his criminal behaviour.

Insp Swan said: "Gareth Lambert is a prolific beggar and the ASBO was brought about due to the high number of complaints received from members of the public.

"He often targets women with young children or the elderly and would follow them causing intimidation and distress. He used a plethora of reasons why he needed money often carrying a petrol can as a prop. He could sound very convincing but would
frequently turn hostile. He persistently targeted vulnerable victims despite constant warnings and continued to loiter in car parks and shopping areas making victims feel intimidated."

He added: "The public need to be aware of Gareth Lambert's persistent offending and the conditions that the court has imposed on him.

"The local community that has been affected by his criminal behaviour can act as our eyes and ears for ensuring that Lambert lives by the conditions. If anyone sees him begging, causing intimidation or entering his exclusion zone I would urge them to pass that information on to the police.

"Breaching the conditions of an ASBO is a serious matter and I hope that this sends out a strong message to other persistent offenders that the courts and the police will not tolerate a small number of individuals affecting the wider community."

(He has begged from me in Rock Retail park, Tesco on Borough road and Home Bargains Car park in Prenton asking for any spare change each time, sounds like he is from down south, always seem's polite enough when knocked back, but he's obviously a typical Sh*tbag who is more pushy with women and elderly people. Im sure a few on here have come across him begging. He always carries a string Jd sports bag over his shoulder.

thing is, this says wirral. i'm 99.5% certain that he's asked me for change etc in liverpool, i know because he asked me while i was up by the bombed out church one day heading to richer sounds, then later that day head to mcdonalds in rock retail park and he asked me again, clearly forgetting he'd asked me a couple of hours earlier... does he not have a hobby or something??? go to museums and walk round, they're still free aren't they...

I thought that was Dirk Kuyt for a min there lol

There's a guy that begs in Sir Thomas Street in Liverpool around the bus stops there. Doesn't look unlike this one, but not as blond and with no beard. Seems to target single women and anyone with an expensive phone in their hand.

STINGEBAGS!

Ian O'Doherty also a beggar, until he met with human approval. Then he became a hero !

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/c...nd-a-new-hero-for-our-time-26749758.html

Sorry, John Byrne was the man who saved his bunny.

I have nothing against homeless and others in desperate situations, life is cruel and as such I may end up in the same situation one day, as may all of us.
The problem I see is that, aside from the usual 'you don't know what he really is spending the money on' argument, this guy doesn't just beg, he harasses you for money.
Twice I have been hassled by him around Lidl. The first time he asked for money so he could get the bus home to somewhere out in the sticks or something. I had no money as I only really use cards, but he kept asking me again if I had money.
The second time I was in my car waiting to turn toward Well Lane and he knocked the window and started asking for money for food!
He had a shaved head and no beard then.
He does not just say OK and leave you alone, he pesters you, blocking your way, etc, and he acts manic, incredibly jumpy and jittery, no wonder people were intimidated by him. Who knows if he wouldn't pull a knife or something.
I have seen him approach others too, some he just asks once, others he hassles.
He has targeted my daughter before who has fear and anxiety issues, and despite being told she didn't have money, followed her to keep asking and really upset her.
Have you ever known another beggar to be slapped with an ASBO?

Perhaps he has mental issues, but, he obviously knows he can intimidate some people, coercion by intimidation is just not on.

On the note of 'where does the money go?', a woman was begging in the Rock Ferry Retail car park, in the same place this guy hangs around funnily enough. She asked me if she could have a pound to get some food, I said I would do one better and buy a bag of chips from the chippy 10 feet away for her, she pulled a face and said no thanks.

this man is not homeless. he lives in oriel road with a wife/girlfriend and a child

Yes it said in the original post, that is why I said "..and desperate situations" as a general comment towards all, not one individual in particular. Living in a house does not mean you are living well.

And Ste`s quote from another thread..

"Now, Theres the kid from birkenhead who has just recieved an asbo banning him from parts of the area due to begging.
This dude has no money obviously so he's asking for help and look what happens!
Great help that aint it?"

"people are so stingey these days, cant even put their hands in their pockets for a measly quid???"

from original post..
"He often targets women with young children or the elderly and would follow them causing intimidation and distress."

Oh, so this is fine with Ste, maybe Ste would like this man to follow his missus.

I think that this fellas 'technique' appears to be all wrong obvs- you can't go around intimidating the public for money....

However, there ARE genuine desperate, destitute people out there....breaks my heart how people judge and condemn them.

Desperate situations lead to desperate actions, unfortunately. I can only assume 'moral codes' alter too.

I personally, when I can would prefer to buy a homeless person a cup of tea and a butty or something...a friend accused me of being judgemental/ selective.

Her point was that if a person has been reduced to living on the streets due to addiction (whether drugs/ alcohol/ gambling etc) then who am I to judge how they spend 'my' paltry donation. £2 towards tea/ food/ cider/ heroin is only going to be a temporary relief, whether that be food/ drink/ warmth/ comfort.....

Made me think, anyhow.

Yes, but food, drink and warmth generally are not. (Applicable to all desperate people- not just this character).

Its happening everywhere these days, begging for booze or fags.best idea is go into a shop and buy them a burger or a hot drink.I bet a bottom dollar they will want the money rather than anyone buying food.

they don't need to work, they get more money begging.