Police and councillors are warning people that giving money to beggars, far from being a good deed, is actually doing serious harm.

The number of beggars in the town centre has increased in recent months – but Darlington Community Safety Partnership said begging does not mean they are living on the streets.

Instead some are known to come from other parts of the region, often to feed drug or alcohol dependencies.

Chief Superintendent Adrian Green, from Durham Police, said: "I want people to understand the consequences of handing over money to a beggar.

"The fact is that if you give money to a beggar in Darlington then you are being conned and you are likely feeding their drug or alcohol habit.

"The partnership knows this because we work with these people every day, we know their stories and we know that they are not living on the street.

"If you give money to people begging in Darlington you are undermining all the support that the different agencies are already providing.

"If you wish to give, please either give food or support a homeless charity or a local foodbank instead."

But Graeme Thompson, 29, who was begging in the town centre yesterday, said: "£200 a day is actually delusional, people nowhere near make that much. I try to make enough money to get a B&B, not every night but just so I can have a shower and a warm bed. I only make between £15 and £25 a day.

“I’m a single man with no support needs, so I don’t have priority to go and get housing, I’ve spoken to the council and they’ve put me I’m on a waiting list for the 700 Club but I’m not even priority on that."

Mr Thompson said he is living on a campsite and became homeless due to a relationship breakdown in October last year.

“There are beggars in this town who are professional beggars, but there are a couple of us who genuinely are homeless," he said. "I’ve been homeless for 14 months now.

“I know there’s a foodbank in Darlington but what are we going to do with tinned food, we don’t have the facilities to cook. It used to be a lot better before Firststop moved because that had showering facilities, but now the funding has been cut."

Police have been taking part in initiatives which aim to tackle issues relating to beggars and homelessness.

On Friday night, when The Northern Echo joined Darlington Police on shift, officers checked in on people on the streets regularly, including one woman who was sitting on the pavement near a cash machine on Houndgate.

Officers said she was always polite and turned down money offered to her.

However, police said they need to move people away from cash machines as those using them can be made to feel intimidated or pressured into giving money.

Sergeant Peter Hoole said: "This is a national problem. The majority of the beggars we see are not sleeping on the streets – they've got somewhere to go but they make a lot of money begging, sometimes up to £200 a day."

Dr John Elliston, chief executive of homeless charity 700 Club, said: "Many claim to be homeless, but this is very rarely the case.

"Although the individuals are not homeless they do have needs, and I assure you every individual begging in Darlington is known, is spoken to on an almost daily basis by police, council and voluntary agencies. Offers of help with both accommodation and other issues have been repeatedly made to all."