Problems with persistent beggars, some believed to be linked to organised crime and exploitation, have emerged across Richmond.

There have been reports from Richmond town centre through to Twickenham and Kingston of what appears to be organised teams of beggars.

At the same time, the police have taken enforcement action against a particular individual accused of harassing people and asking for money in the centre of Kew village.

The teams of organised beggars, mainly women, are dropped off in the centre of Richmond and Twickenham and all use similar signs asking for money.

Typically, the signs will say 'Please help me, Hungry, God bless you', or 'Please Help Me, I Am Homeless and Live on the Streets'.

The police suggest those involved in the begging may be victims of exploitation by organised criminal gangs. They are calling on people who want to support the homeless to donate to charities supporting these groups, rather than giving the money to beggars.

There have been two tweets from police to reinforce the message. One read: "Please do not give money to beggars, it is part of organised crime and exploitation. If you would like to donate, please do so by donating to a reputable charity."

This was supported by the St Margarets police team, which tweeted: "This goes for those in Twickenham @MPSTwickenham @MPSWhitton. These beggars are part of an organised gang and dropped off to an area every day."

Asked about the problems in Richmond, a Met police spokesman said: "While the issue of begging is primarily an issue for the local council, our neighbourhood officers regularly liaise with our partners in the local authority to support their work in this area.

"Where residents have concerns, we would encourage them to speak to our officers and we can ensure these concerns are passed to the appropriate agency.

"Where there are reports of criminality made to police, such as anti-social behaviour, these will be dealt with appropriately by our officers."

Begging is an offence under the Vagrancy Act 1824, it can also be associated with offences of anti-social behaviour.

Richmond Borough Council said there is information for residents on how to deal with beggars, homeless people and potential modern slavery online.

Modern Slavery Info here.

Helping the Homeless Info here.

The police in Kew have issued a Community Protection Notice (CPN) to a persistent beggar, following complaints from residents.

The police said: "The CPN comes after a very lengthy process of engagement with this person, including encouraging them to engage with support services.

"It became clear after a period of time this was not happening and we therefore had no other option but to begin legal enforcement following a number of complaints from residents."

While there have been complaints, some residents have been critical of the police for targeting the individual.

The police said: "Throughout our regular engagement with this individual, a number of residents have expressed deep concern about police involvement in the matter, seemingly incriminating homelessness.

"I must stress this is not the case. We have offered help to this person and have actively engaged with them with support services."

The police said people concerned about individuals sleeping rough in the area should bring it to the attention of SPEAR Rough Sleeper Outreach.