Forum Topic

Big Issue sellers

There seems to be a lot of men of a similar appearance, often with a shaking leg, selling the Big Issue in W4 area. Anyone without a home or job needs support (we should do much more for the homeless, especially at this time of year), but are these men legit, or part of some organised illegal immigrant program, as my W4 neighbour suggested?  Just keen to know before parting with any cash…

Emma Elizabeth ● 56d29 Comments

Employers are now liable to prosecution if they employ people who are not legally entitled to be in this country. This was a change made by the last government to crack down on the "pull" factor for illegal immigrants. Is it not possible that at least some of the street beggars are individuals who have arrived illegally in the UK and therefore cannot take jobs with legitimate businesses? If you are interested in helping genuine refugees locally have a look at this website    https://refugeeswelcomehounslow.org.uk/

Sam Hearn ● 53d

Why don't the good folk of W4 and contributers to this forum, mob up, form a firm and chase these unsavoury folk out that blight our dear high street!Defund Khan and LBH

Dick Greenleigh ● 53d

If you can spot the police officers, other than at McD & Greggs, would be a miracle, they are rarer than hens teeth. They have totally forgotten, that we pay their salary. I know that there is a shortage, but those who are still on the force, are nowhere to be seen on the beat, throughout the L B H.

Elizabeth Whittington ● 54d

Well something certainly is.I'm surprised there isn't some kind of expectation of moving on, with appropriate guidance, from The Big Issue itself.

Anne England ● 54d

Benefits are giving him a good living probably.

Keith Iddon ● 54d

That's what I don't understand. I can't think that selling a few Big Issue a week - it's hardly a prime spot and he's certainly not there full-time - is a very fulfilling or lucrative vocation. He seems to do very well on it though - well enough to not it seems want or try for any other kind of job.

Anne England ● 54d

A 5 bedroom house on Mill Hil Rd in Acton was raided several years ago.There were 76 bed spaces in the house.

Keith Iddon ● 54d

If you can spot the white van why can't our largely, if not totally, ineffective police service?

N V Brooks ● 54d

Not sure about the big Issue sellers, but I do know that the street beggers are bussed into our High Streets, in a white van, with a sliding side door.They are deposited, along with their blankets, crutches, dogs etc and collected the same way at night.That van is the bane of the bus drivers lives, when proceeding or trying to, up Hounslow High St. They all live in a large house, in Shepherds Bush.

Elizabeth Whittington ● 54d

There are always jobs going in the supermarket he stands in front of.

Keith Iddon ● 54d

The vendor in Brentford looks very well on 22 years and counting!

Anne England ● 54d

I felt rather mean once asking him whether he tried for other jobs - he muttered something about 'next year' in his reply. That was a good four or five years ago. I still wonder whether I have got it 'wrong', there again I'm not so sure. I just feel somebody must be doing okay out of selling a few magazines each week (and it certainly seems meagre pickings outside Morrison's) to continue doing so for that length of time. I recall John Bird saying that selling the magazine was a means to a 'hand up', not a 'hand out'.

Anne England ● 54d

Genuine Big Issue sellers are vetted and offered support.  They buy the magazine for £2, sell for £4, slightly more at Christmas, and keep the profit.

Carol Sawyer ● 55d

Thank your lucky stars your not forced into a position that you end up on the streets flogging it

Dick Greenleigh ● 55d

Not recently but a friend gave one of these crutch guys a fiver for the big issuen and not in chiswick. He never went back and complained but the mag was a few months out of date. But since then many people have got to know that these people with crutches are controlled. It may not be a fortune but if your kept in say a room of ten,fed vary basics and sent out to earn £10 profit a day then times that by 10 people is £700 a week. These people are all over london

Julian Pavey ● 55d

The only thing I have ever given him is a piece of my mind(some might say I can't spare that!) when he tried to sell me his magazine some years ago.

Keith Iddon ● 55d

I believe I've heard that the 16 hours also applies to those selling The Big Issue. The Big Issue is surely meant to offer a way into working, not be a lifelong (22 years?) 'vocation'. For this reason I stopped buying the magazine from the Brentford vendor some years ago.

Anne England ● 55d

Simple solution. Don’t donate to any ‘charities’ on the street unless you want to throw your money at criminal gangs promoting illegal immigration. There are too many scams. Even some of the legitimate charities are questionable when the directors take up to 97pence of every £ as their remuneration.

Steve Taylor ● 55d

It's not much fun working on a building site or in a factory either,but thank goodness many do rather than beg.

Keith Iddon ● 55d

It cannot be much fun sitting outside all day shaking your leg… I guess the  only real winner is the gang leader… the losers are the blokes faking it… as well as the genuine British homeless folk… and us taxpayers

Emma Elizabeth ● 55d

I don't see how we need to import people to sell this magazine.Correct me if you think I am wrong,but what good does that do to anyone but them?

Keith Iddon ● 55d

If you suspect someone is selling the Big Issue fraudulently, you can contact The Big Issue by:     Calling 0121 230 1555    Emailing vendor.comments@bigissue.com

N V Brooks ● 55d

They are housed fed and controlled by gangs.Dropped off and picked up.I see a lady sitting down outside richmond sation the other night with puppets playing instruments to music.A guy suddenly turned up,told her to stand up and move to the music and to me looked quite controling.

Julian Pavey ● 55d

I worked on in Hammersmith for 20 odd years and the hobbling,wobbling man routine was repeated by several different blokes over the years,always accompanied by a female,usually quite old,on the opposite side of the road and within view of each other.There is a chap who sells the magazine outside Morrison's ,sans wobbly leg,in Brentford who has been at it for at least the 22 years I have lived there.Strange really,as there are always jobs of one kind or anothef in a supermarket.16 hours a week doing this 'work'gets you a ticket to ride the gravy...ie:a NI number.Simples.

Keith Iddon ● 55d

Please take the tim to report the suspicious sellers to The Big Issue

N V Brooks ● 56d

The guys it’s outside Snappy Snaps or Turnham Green tube  ask u pay by there mobile phone be careful.Yes the lovely man outside Waitrose is Genuine.

John Kennedy ● 56d

They get on my nerves and are taking away genuine Big Issue seller spots in London, and the UK. None of them have this shaking leg syndrome - all for show. And what a performance it is.I saw one get on a bus after his 'shift' standing upright, no stick, and his legs magically stopped shaking. Hmm, I wonder why. Sadly, many people fall for it. Not me!

Elle Jones ● 56d

Andy, the Big Issue seller outside Waitrose, is legit and a lovely man to boot. Please support him or buy him a sandwich.As for the 'shaky leg' men ... Lyndsey who used to sit outside the old Greggs told me she used to see them dropped off by van in the morning and given a crutch. They apparently did a fine impersonation of Keyser Soze in as much as they carried on the linping charade until they approached the pick up van in the evening before dumping the crutch and walking perfectly normally to the van.

Chris Blackwell ● 56d

If they were wearing their tabard and ID badge you have nothing about which to worry.The Big Issue vets sellers by requiring them to register, complete a training course, and sign a code of conduct.So, dig deep snd support them and tell your "W4 neighbour", with respect, to do some basic research.

N V Brooks ● 56d