A gang of female beggars who used children as props to tug at the heart strings have been banned from swathes of west London with a mass Asbo.
The Asbo bans the thirteen women - who are believed to come from Romania and Bulgaria - from parts, or all, of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham for up to three years.
Westminster Council believes the women belong to a well-organised criminal gang which uses young children to fleece cash from kind-hearted pedestrians.
Cllr Daniel Astaire, cabinet member for community protection, said: "This is not charity of giving to the needy. These people were part of a large, organised gang that used children as props to make money.
"This kind of aggressive behaviour to tug on the heart-strings of passers-by is despicable and will not be tolerated."
The prosecutions, the last of which was secured on December 15 at City of Westminster Magistrates Court, follow an October blitz on persistent begging in central London.
The women are known to have targeted passers-by in Oxford Street, Piccadilly and Edgware Road, urging young children to harrass pedestrains for money.
The scam was also reported in Knightsbridge during the summer when wealthy middle-eastern shoppers visit the area.
Westminster Police recorded a surge in persistant begging after the expansion of the European Union in 2007 to include Romania and Bulgaria.
Fears organised criminals have been using central London as a honeypot for begging and pick-pocketing have frequently been voiced by Westminster Council and the police, who are now responsible for enforcing the Asbo.
Angela Vasile, 44, Livia Stoica, 28, of Twickenham, Anisoara Alexandru, 21, of Slough, all banned for three years from Westminster, H&F and K&C
Decembria Vasile, 53, excluded from most of central Westminster.
Mirabela Dumitru, 22, Ilford, Essex, Monica Stoian, 20, Slough, Cornelia Stoica, 24, Barking, Essex, Ramona Busuioc, 19, Slough, Adriana Schian, 19, Slough, Lenuta Vasile, 20, Ilford, Mirabela Stanciu, 24 Ilford, Lenuta Calin, 22 Edmonton, Surrey all banned for three years from Westminster and K&C. Gabriel Vaduva, 36, no fixed abode banned for two years from Westminster.
