POLICE in Dorchester are stepping up patrols to combat a rising number of problems with rough sleepers in the town.

Over the past few weeks officers have been targeting offenders behaving anti-socially in the county town.

Inspector Les Fry of Dorchester Police said: “We have had a number of complaints about rough sleepers on the streets of Dorchester who are causing anti-social behaviour.”

Officers have taken a pro-active approach and increased patrols in the town centre, seized alcohol and are currently working with local retailers to identify problem areas.

PCSO Rhyan Toms Holman from Dorchester’s Safer Neighbourhood Team said there had been a noticeable influx of vagrants in the town.

She said it was likely that many were coming up from Weymouth as there is a section 30 dispersal order in place there during the summer, unlike Dorchester.

The order gives police added powers to move on any groups that threaten to cause anti-social behaviour.

PCSO Toms Holman said: “It's more the quantity of them in places like Bowling Alley Walks rather than anything they are actually doing.

“There can be up to 15 of them there and people can be intimidated by it.”

She added that officers were actively moving on people gathering behind Iceland and they had the power to seize alcohol from anyone drinking in Dorchester town centre.

Manager of the Hub centre for the homeless in Dorchester Bob Matthews said: “There are seasonal adjustments and at this time of year there are more people moving around.

“I would say the problem police are experiencing is not necessarily rough sleepers but a problem with street drinking.

“It’s probably a mixture of people who are sleeping rough and people that are in accommodation who join them for street drinking.

"I'm sure the police are aware that many of the people drinking in the street are in housing and there are also people that may be homeless but outside our age limit of 21.”

Mr Matthews said that the Hub continues to provide an invaluable service to homeless people in the area.