‘Homeless’ gang park Romanian car in well-heeled city centre and load meter with coins before hitting the streets for eight hours of begging

They reportedly walked into the well-heeled city together before going to separate spots to plead for money.

When a man with a child's crutch was confronted on whether he was homeless or not he claimed to be Italian saying: "I do not speak English".

Questioned further the man confirmed he had driven into the city that day.

Residents have said they are fed up with fake beggars.

British Red Cross volunteer Lisa Jay claimed the man with the crutch had become "confrontational and spoke in English" after she told him she had no change.

She told the Mail: "They look to target the students who have some spare change and don’t want the hassle of turning them down. They bark at the kids – it’s easy prey to them."

Asma Begum, 34, a resident living close to where the gang parked said: "I had never thought that they were homeless, as I had seen them get out of the car and wait around before walking off.

"It’s not like there’s any bus routes on the road to wait for. If you had a child’s crutch I do not see how you could walk that far into town."

Cambridge police have previously released data saying four of every nine people arrested for begging are not actually homeless.

Last year a man who claimed to be a homeless beggar received death threats after he was caught on camera getting in his fancy sports car.

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