SOMETIMES the wheels of justice grind slowly. For two years now Middlesbrough Council, the police and businesses have been waging a war against a hardcore of aggressive beggars.

Now, before the politically-correct brigade attempts to blur the facts, I want to make it clear we are not talking here about gentlemen of the road. As is the case throughout Britain, we are talking about intimidating individuals who become abusive when their demands for cash are refused. They target lone women, youngsters at cashpoints and pensioners leaving the post office.

In Middlesbrough we identified 24 such criminals and none was homeless or destitute. They were all either claiming benefit or had other jobs. In short, they saw aggressive begging as a lucrative sideline, earning up to £30 an hour.

Gradually, we whittled down their numbers until only two or three persisted. This week one of the most notorious was finally banned from the town centre for three years.

It has taken dozens of court appearances and probably cost the public purse tens of thousands of pounds. No doubt in other towns they may have given up. But I believe it has been worth it, for the same reason I continually urge the police to clamp down on anti-social behaviour and what some would term "minor" crime such as hooliganism and vandalism.

The pre-requisite for a successful, prosperous town is a centre in which people feel safe. This draws in new money from visitors, it encourages new businesses to come to the town and existing ones to expand.

So I compare aggressive beggars to leeches sucking the lifeblood out of the hearts of our towns and cities. I shudder to think how many visitors have been put off returning to Middlesbrough by such morons and how much business has been lost.

Our success does not seem to be reflected in this week's baseline assessment report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary - probably because the report is six months out of date. To read some interpretations you would have thought that the towns served by Cleveland Police resembled Dodge City.

Well that is simply not true. In Middlesbrough the link-up between police, community wardens and other partners has resulted in significant falls in crime. We've even been judged the best council in the country when it comes to tackling crime and disorder, and this week's banning order proves our determination and that of our partners.

Crude calculations, based on the assessment report, suggest Cleveland Police is the worst force in Britain. Again, I don't believe that to be the case and I know the inspector never intended his assessment to be portrayed in such a way.

Unfortunately, like the wheels of justice, it seems HMI reports also take time. Why it has taken until now to publicly expose the faults which were known to the authorities for years is a matter of grave concern and unfair on the new Chief Constable Sean Price, who must pick up the pieces.

I know how hard many people worked to secure this week's banning order, which has lifted a notorious blight on our town.

That same focus and resolve will see Cleveland Police overcome the failings of a past regime and deliver the service that people deserve.

Published: 18/06/2004