Police have warned that professional beggars are currently operating in Dawlish.

In a post on their Facebook page, Teignmouth and Dawlish Police said an organised gang are targeting Dawlish, Teignmouth and Newton Abbot.

Newton Abbot police took to Twitter to issue a similar warning on Friday, and said they had made arrests.

The Dawlish police post said: "While every effort is made to engage with new beggars, our first action is always identifying vulnerabilities and getting the correct agencies involved to help to the homeless.

What to do if you're worried about someone begging on the street

"If you believe that a person is genuinely homeless or in need of help and support we would encourage you to first report this through the Streetlink app.

"Your report will be fed directly through to the rough sleeper team at Teignbridge Council who will make every effort to track that individual down, going out to the location where the person might be sleeping rough and make the first steps in finding them a home or support.

"By reporting through Streetlink you will be giving that person the best chance of finding a roof over their head, please DO NOT give them money, but use the link above.

Read more about Streetlink here: Use this smartphone app to get help for rough sleepers, say Dawlish police