Homeless man luggage £140 a day begging at lights – with soccer ace giving £20 each time

A homeless man living at a city bus stop said he used to be raking in the cash from begging, but is now struggling to get anything.

Ricky stays just metres away from another rough sleeper tent. Before the pandemic, he was said to be “making £140” per day from begging at traffic lights. But now, Ricky said Birmingham has moved closer to being a cashless city, making it much harder to earn.

Ricky told BirminghamLive he had been living in the disused bus stop, near one of the city’s busiest commuter routes, “long enough”. He said his friend was living in a tent pitched up at the edge of the noisy junction.

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Ricky claimed homeless shelters, such as Washington Court in the city centre, were “no good” for him as a struggling drug addict. The shelter will close for good in December with the council moving to a different support model, according to BMP Media.

Ricky, also spoke to YouTube channel Birmz is Grime earlier this year. He said: “I graft on the lights. I’ve been stuck here for four years doing that to feed my drug habit.

“Before Covid, I was making £130-£140 [per day], piece of p***, but I was starting at 5.30am. The road was a hell of a lot busier and I’d be done by nine o’clock.

“I had a bloke who came through every day, I think he was a football manager, he was in a big expensive Range Rover, and he used to give me £20 every day – without fail. [Since Covid] everyone says to get a card reader. Everyone’s scared to touch cash. You don’t get half as much.”

Speaking of homelessness in the city, a Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry to hear this and strive to have a city in which every citizen has a safe and affordable home. The council ensures there are outreach workers on the streets of Birmingham day and night, seven days a week, with the offer of accommodation and support to all who need this.

“The services are provided by a strong partnership of city council and voluntary sector agencies. Anyone who is concerned about someone who may be sleeping rough can notify the outreach team via Streetlink and the team will follow up.”

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