Anti-Begging Posters Banned: Do You Agree?

28 September 2016, 08:35 | Updated: 28 September 2016, 08:43

A council's posters telling people not to give money to beggars has been banned for reinforcing negative stereotypes of homeless people.

The posters from Nottingham City Council claimed that any money you give to beggars will to straight to alcohol, drugs or fraud.

One poster showed an image of a homeless man in sleeping bag begging with the line: "Begging: watch your money go to a fraud. Beggars aren’t what they seem".

Another featured a close-up of a roll-up cigarette, saying: "Begging: watch your money go up in smoke. Begging funds the misuse of drugs".

And a third had an image of a discarded lager can and the line: "Begging: watch your money go down the drain. Begging funds the misuse of alcohol".

In banning the adverts, the Advertising Standards Agency said the ads portrayed all beggars as disingenuous and underserving individuals that would use direct donations for irresponsible means.

It added: "The ads also reinforced negative stereotypes of a group of individuals, most of whom were likely to be considered as vulnerable, who faced a multitude of issues and required specialist support."