Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp is calling for members of an organised begging gang to be deported if they are found guilty of criminality after joining the Express in confronting the perpetrators in central London. The MP for Croydon South joined us on a visit to the gang’s camp in Marble Arch on Thursday afternoon (July 16).
The gang of Romanian organised beggars are continuing to operate near Marble Arch, drinking alcohol, gambling and littering the streets. The gang are believed to be being led by convicted criminal Iliuta Gruia who has a restraining order in his own country for threatening to kill children. He was nowhere to be seen when we visited on Thursday and members of the gang, who also pitched tents in Park Lane last year, denied knowing him.
Chris Philp joined the Express to confront an organised begging gang in London (Image: Jeremy Selwyn)
Mr Philp said: “They are organised criminals and, frankly, if they’re committing crimes, they should be deported. When I confronted Iliuta Gruia with your colleague Zak [Garner-Purkis], about a year ago, he became extremely aggressive and since then it’s been found out that he’s an organised gangster in Romania.”
After some members of the gang were moved on by police, Mr Philp asked the officers to confirm whether the Vagrancy Act 1824 had been repealed. They confirmed that it had and, as of June 29, rough sleeping and begging in England and Wales was no longer illegal.
The law, which has been in place for centuries, was scrapped as part of the Labour government’s National Plan to End Homelessness. However, Mr Philp is calling for the criminalisation of rough sleeping and begging as the gang continue to operate near the London landmark.
He said: “Personally, I think it should just be illegal and there should be no exceptions. When the government made that change, and repealed the 1824 act without properly replacing it, that was something I did not agree with.”
Members of the gang were moved on by police (Image: Jeremy Selwyn)
The group were once again moved on by police officers on Thursday. However, several woman moved just a stone’s throw away to the other side of Marble Arch while others returned to the same spot after police left.
Some were spotted moving trollies full of belongings in black bin bags while others guzzled bottles of beer under the attraction. They were also seen kicking empty cans along the road while a flowerbed near Marble Arch was littered with rubbish.
Mr Philp said: “While police have just moved some of them on, that’s just shifted the problem further down the road. They’ve left all of their rubbish here behind us.”
After moving on members of the gang, the police officers insisted they’re dealing with any reported anti-social behaviour and nuisance caused by them. They are calling on members of the public to report any crimes or violent behaviour to them.
It’s believed the gang sleep outside of the flagship Marks & Spencer store on Oxford Street before moving to Marble Arch in the day time. Shops in the area have reported issues with the gang this week.
Bin bags full of belongings have been left at the camp (Image: Jeremy Selwyn)
A security guard working at Foot Locker told the Express that some of them linger outside the shop begging but he is not allowed to move them on. He also claimed one of them stole a phone from a nearby shop on Tuesday (July 14).
Ringleader Gruia was exposed following an Express investigation which revealed he was previously given a restraining order for threatening to kill children. He was photographed gambling at the site earlier this week.
Members of the gang were shown pictures of their reported ringleader but claimed to have never seen him. This is despite pictures from the Express showing Gruia at the makeshift camp on the corner of Oxford Street earlier this week.
Cllr David Harvey, cabinet member for housing and regeneration at Westminster Council, said: “We continue to encourage those at the site to relocate and move away from rough sleeping and offer support for them to do that.
“Where that help is persistently declined — and the individuals involved cause anti-social behaviour and unlawfully occupy these spaces — we will take appropriate enforcement action. Westminster’s streets, parks and public spaces need to be safe, accessible and welcoming for everyone.”