Councilor Gary Perry said “organised” beggars are stationed at the junction of Lichfield Street near Walsall Arboretum and commuters have long complained about them.

Councilor Perry said that while some beggars are genuine, those stationed at this intersection have been seen handing over change.

He said they have places to live and if they don’t, they will be given accommodation by the council’s street teams.

Councilor Perry said: “Businesses, traders and residents fear the effects of organized begging.

There are real cases where, however, in certain locations, such as the junction with Walsall Arboretum, it is organized and there is a rotation and people have witnessed the change.

“These individuals actually have places to live and those who don’t, they would be given anyway. They turn around and get out of traffic.

“Sometimes they are threatening people who don’t want to donate. We are trying through relevant laws to have a court ruling in the public space to ban individuals.”

Walsall Council’s Labor leader, Councilor Matt Ward, said: “We’ve heard comments like this from previous leaders about dealing with beggars, but the problem has gotten worse.

“It’s not just at the traffic lights, it’s on the high street, on the shop doors. People should feel safe walking into Walsall, but it just doesn’t happen.”

A public space protection order (PSPO) is a court order that gives councils the power to impose restrictions in a specific public space to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Councilor Perry said several PSPOs had been put in place this year, but getting one was “not easy” and could take up to six months.

He said, “It’s not as simple as saying I want to do it now, then do it, you have to go through a process.)

“You have to draw a boundary that individuals can operate outside of. These individuals work outside the border. It’s a very challenging problem.”

The leader called on members of the public to submit evidence to support the council in securing future court decisions.