A Freedom of Information request has revealed that an archaic law which is being phased out by the Government is still being used to prosecute people, including a 14-year-old boy from the Isle of Wight.
The Observer has reported this week that some 1,173 people have been charged under the Vagrancy Act 1824, despite the Government saying they will scrap this 200-year-old law.
The FOI request by the national newspaper was sent to all forces in England and Wales, but only 29 responded with data.
Just last week a 14-year-old boy from the Isle of Wight appeared in Youth Court charged under the Vagrancy Act in relation to an incident in Freshwater last month. It’s claimed that the teen was found in an enclosed yard for an unlawful purpose, namely to cause damage.
The Vagrancy Act was first created in 1824 to deal with the large numbers of ex-servicemen left homeless and jobless following the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and made it an offence to sleep rough or beg. The Act was repealed in Scotland in 1981 but remains on the statute book in England and Wales.
There is a provision to repeal the Act under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 but this must be enacted by the Secretary of State and it is understood that this won’t happen until appropriate replacement legislation is passed.
A government spokesperson said:
“We are very clear that we are not criminalising rough sleeping and the government will repeal the outdated Vagrancy Act.
Article continues below this advertisement “However, there are some instances of nuisance behaviour by those begging or sleeping rough that can cause harm or distress to the individuals and the wider public.
“Where this happens the government wants to ensure police forces and local authorities are given the tools to direct vulnerable individuals into support where appropriate and help the public feel safe.”
As more and more newcomers fill the UK and leave scattered clones around, as we now see the authorities are begging people to take in and foster massive numbers of their unwanted offspring adding greatly to the cost and crime, as unwanted children often turn feral.
Before the number of foster children and adopted children were met by demand, but as the number has increased now the huge cost in fiscal and crime grows ever greater year on year.
So ridding of an ancient law should be replaced with curtailing the numbers of arrivals to ease the problem of unwanted and then often troubled children who themselves add to the problem from puberty onwards.
This is a disgusting comment.
Truth is often painful, but we don’t hear enough of it nowadays, hence the world is in the mess it is, because people avoid saying it as it is, so well said imo Gereld Maggot
Talking xenophobia out of your bum again by any chance?
Should replace the archaic law with an even older way of beating the yob senseless as an example to other vandals and vile, who we will be ‘keeping’ anyway for their entire life and their clones from puberty onwards.
Bring back the birch and the stocks!
Borstal. One visit should do it.
Charming. Kick someone when they’re down…
The only answer is stop breeding.