Worcester Beggar Served With ‘Crasbo’

Marco VelascoA well-known street drinker, busker and beggar from Worcester has been given a Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Order because of his long history of anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

Marco Velasco, aged 41 of The Hopmarket, Worcester, was served with the two-year order at Worcester Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Among the prohibitions of his order are:

• Behave in any way that causes or is likely to cause any person harassment, alarm or distress, including using foul, abusive, insulting, racist or offensive language or gestures;
• Use aggressive, threatening or intimidating behaviour, or use, demonstrate or threaten violence;
• Be drunk and disorderly in a public place, or in any place to which the public have access;
• Consume alcohol or be in possession of an open vessel containing alcohol in any place where consumption is prohibited by law;
• Beg in any place;
• Enter an exclusion zone of The Shambles, Church Street and Windsor Row.

His Crasbo relates to a conviction on 13 September for being drunk and disorderly the previous day.

PC Paul Slaymaker of the city centre policing team said: "Mr Velasco is a familiar face in Worcester city centre, but for many of the wrong reasons.  Despite having a flat in the city centre, he often gives the impression of being homeless and often begs at ATMs in the evening.

"He also plays the bongos and ‘busks' for money, but quite often in a way that makes it little more than begging and nuisance to local businesses in particular.

"Mr Velasco is also often under the influence of drink and drugs in public and behaves in an anti-social way when he is, so we have taken the step of applying for a Crasbo to try and protect the public from his behaviour.

"He is often around Church Street and The Shambles so his Crasbo prohibits him from entering that area.

"If anyone sees Mr Velasco begging, ‘busking', drinking or being generally anti-social, please contact West Mercia Police on 101 and we can take action."

Issued:  Friday 28 September 2012