Police are moving on rough sleepers from outside a shop doorway in Southend’s High Street in a bid to tackle anti-social drinking and begging.

Officers from Southend’s community policing team are targeting areas in the High Street which are prone to attract anti-social behaviour.

They said that one particular spot, which is the doorway of the old Post Office, which has closed down, has become a favoured place for drinking and begging.

One of the officers at the scene, PC James Brewer, said on Twitter: “We are keeping the pressure on our anti social behaviour hotspots in Southend High Street. The doorway [at the old Post Office] is still clear, clean and tidy following last Tuesday’s intervention.”

However, charity organisation Harp said simply moving on rough sleepers is not enough to tackle the underlying cause of homelessness in the borough.

Gill Garwood, chief executive, said: “I am always saddened that, in this day and age, people have to resort to begging to survive. It is however important to remember that not all homeless people beg, and not all beggars are homeless.

“Earlier this year, we launched a campaign with Southend BID called ‘Don’t Just Walk By’, which encouraged the public to let people know about our Bradbury Day Centre on York Road.

“We provide emergency services to rough sleepers, including cooked breakfasts and lunches, night food packs and washing facilities.

“Simply moving people on is clearly not enough. But, behind the scenes, we are involved in High Street patrols with our partners, including Southend Police, the council and other local charities, to regularly speak with people on the street in order to build trust and guide them towards support that can help them to turn their lives around. Spending a long time on the streets compounds the problems people face so it’s important that as a community we continue to get people to consider the array of services Harp and our partners provide.”

Councillor Mark Flewitt, responsible for housing, planning and sustainability, said the council is committed to combating homelessness in the High Street.

He said: “The council has been leading on a pilot project since May, due to run until November, to tackle issues arising from rough sleeping on the High Street, such as street begging, drinking and rough sleeping. This is a multi-agency response which engages the street homeless community and directs them to the support they require. The council has this year opened a pioneering hostel for rough sleepers with complex needs such as mental health, alcohol or drug misuse.”