IF true, the stories of people pretending to be homeless in order to trick the public into giving them money are both depressing and unsurprising.

We've been told of a number of cases of so-called 'fake homeless' people who have been spotted parking their car in Worcester, going into the city centre and sitting in a doorway so as to appear to be a rough sleeper, begging for spare change from the public and, when they've made enough cash, going back to their vehicle and presumably driving home.

Although we must stress that there are no cases where someone has been caught and named and shamed for doing this, the anecdotal evidence is that it's not uncommon in Worcester.

Sadly, that's not surprising. People taking advantage of the kindness of strangers is not exactly a new concept.

How you can help the homeless in Worcester

Experts in helping the homeless advise the public not to give money to rough sleepers anyway, and news of these 'fake homeless' beggars will only make people even less likely to offer cash.

Instead, buy them something to eat or a hot drink or donate the cash to a charity or hostel which helps.