A PERSISTENT Kidderminster beggar has been banned from the town’s railway station where she was caught pleading for money on five different occasions in less than a month.

Magistrates have slapped a Criminal Behaviour Order which prohibits Jessica Jackson from begging or loitering in any place for the purpose of begging, approaching people and asking them for money and from being present on Comberton Hill including Kidderminster Railway Station.

The order, which was issued last month, is valid until July 15 2018.

On April 10 this year, 28-year-old Jackson reportedly begged a taxi driver at the railway station for money before turning her attentions to passengers who had got off trains to go into the town.

Three days later, Jackson approached two police officers in plain clothes and asked for money claiming she had left her handbag on the train and needed money to get home. The officers identified themselves and told her they knew who she was and warned her about her behaviour.

But a short while later, they saw Jackson approach an elderly woman and asked for money claiming she had lost her handbag. Officers intervened and made her apologise and hand bag the 80p she had been given.

She admitted to officers that she wanted the money to fun her heroin addiction. Jackson was also banned from the railway station by the manager.

On April 30th the same officers saw Jackson approach a woman at the train station and ask for money for a taxi, saying she wanted money for a taxi to flee her boyfriend who she was in fear of.

Jackson was arrested for fraud and she admitted she had been asking for members of the public for money to purchase heroin. She was charged with fraud and bailed to Kidderminster Magistrates Court.

But, on May 3, she approached a man on Comberton Hill who had just left the Tesco store and begged for money before turning her attention to an elderly man across the road.

Police were called and Jackson was spoken with but, on the following day, an officer again saw her at the railway station approaching members of the public as they were getting off a train.

This resulted in a breach of her bail conditions, one of which banned her from entering the station.

PC Andy Forbes, of the Greenhill Safer Neighbourhood Team said: “This shows an utter disregard for the conditions set by the Kidderminster Police.

“It is quite evident that Jackson is intent on approaching people and obtaining money from them.

“She is causing people to feel intimidated and uneasy and is obtaining money from them fraudulently.

“The behaviour exhibited by Jackson should not be tolerated, the order is necessary to allow people the freedom to go about their business without being harassed.”