WHICHEVER way you look at it, nobody takes to the streets to beg out of choice.

Many people down on their luck find it their only option to try to get by.

We don't know why Anthony Robson took to the streets but what we do know is his actions were often anti-social and problematic for the public.

Officers said they were called out on a regular basis to deal with his behaviour and pulled away from genuine emergencies.

We must all think about how our actions can impact on the lives of others.

By being a little more thoughtful we can make our community a safer and more pleasant place to be.

Robson has felt the strong arm of the law and will now spend the next 11 months behind bars.

When he is released he will be banned from entering Barrow town centre.

For persistent offenders we must continue to keep a zero tolerance approach if we want to make Barrow town centre a safer place for families and shoppers alike.

The police must be commended for their commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour.

It's clear people who beg have complex issues.

And it takes a lot of police resource and resilience to tackle problems, day in, day out.