POLICE today warned of the latest street scam in Glasgow: barefoot beggars.

Officers warned people not to be duped by men with no shoes hunched on main shopping streets asking for money.

City businesses also urged action against the beggars, who are clearly organised.

Chief Inspector Alan Porte – the officer in charge of policing the city centre – said: "This is a scam. We have evidence of people taking off their shoes, hiding them and pretending to be barefoot.

"These shoe-less 
beggars are praying on people's good nature."

Some barefoot beggars – believed to be Roma from south-eastern Europe – have been detained in Glasgow.

Begging is not against the law in Scotland.

Police have limited powers to deal with the scam – although anyone behaving aggressively can be lifted.

Mr Porte added: "There are two distinct groups of people who beg in the city centre.

"There are the regular indigenous individuals who, for whatever reason, are down on their luck".

"But there are also people who are actively engaged in begging who are doing it almost as an occupation.

"This is relatively organised.

"They are often working in pairs.

"One, a man, usually takes his shoes off, rolls up his trouser, crouches down, puts a T-shirt over his knees and shivers and sometimes sobs.

"People naturally feel sympathy for him, think there is something wrong and will then perhaps purchase shoes or food or give them money, vouchers that kind of thing.

He said: "We see this scam every day.

"These men are not shoe-less, their shoes are held by a girl with a backpack who keeps a look-out for the police.

"We even had a shopper buying one of them a gift card to buy shoes, only for the 'shoe-less' man to later attempt to get a refund on the card.

david.leask@
eveningtimes.co.uk