A MAN living in fully-funded council accommodation and receiving £900 a month in benefits has been convicted of begging.

Forty-year-old Roy Finch, of Thief Lane, York, had been a council tenant since 2004 but following an investigation by police, he admitted two offences of begging in the city centre in June and July.

He also admitted that he begged on a regular basis - and had been doing so for a lengthy period.

He was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £105 court costs – including a victim services surcharge – to be deducted from his benefits.

After the hearing PC Stephen Armitage of the York Community Safety Hub said: “This conviction sends out a message that offending of this nature will not be tolerated in the city of York.

“Finch clearly wanted to give the impression to those living, working and visiting York that he was homeless in order to receive money and other donations from the general public.

“This absolutely wasn’t the case – he has lived in council accommodation for no less than 14 years and receives hundreds of pounds in further benefits every month.

“This diverts donations from established charities and projects whose main aim is to support the genuinely homeless and vulnerable people who are living on the streets of the city.”