A Bolton police chief has urged people not to donate to beggars seen in the borough, but acknowledged that it is a "complex issue".

Police recently launched Operation Shelter to try and deter people asking for money in the town centre and elsewhere.

They recently posted that there had been nine arrests made as part of this effort.

Police have identified Trinity Street in the town centre near the traffic lights at a hotspot for this form of crime.

And Bolton Chief Inspector Justine Topping has said police would work with other bodies to address the problem, but also stressed that people they are dealing with are known to the bodies they work with and an offer of support was there.

Chief Insp Topping said: “It is a really really complex issue.

“It is not just about the police, we can’t deal with it on our own.

“We work close with Hope for Change around supporting them.

“A lot of them will have complex needs, some mental health issues and some addiction issues, but they also commit crime elsewhere.”

She added: “A lot of people rarely report it.

“Women may drive past with children in the car and will put their windows up, they feel intimated because they are being approached at the traffic lights.”

“I have been in meetings with Hope for Changes or the NHS, they are saying they know all the people we are targeting and we are dealing with, we know them.

“There is an offer there for everybody.”

Chief Insp Topping's message to people tempted to give those begging for money is: "Give it to the right charity that supports them."

A recent report suggested that begging in the town centre was seven times more common than any other issue.

In 2019, the council launched a crackdown on aggressive begging and other anti-social behaviours in the town centre.

The local authority brought in public space protection orders, which allows authorities to issue fines of up to £100 for begging as well as on-street drinking.