Reformed crack cocaine addict and alcoholic Geoff Whelan came to Brighton from London to beg because he heard the residents were a "soft touch".

But this year the girl Geoff used to beg with, a woman in her thirties called Nicki, died of a heroin overdose funded with the money she collected begging on the streets.

Together they could make up to £80 a night begging outside Hanningtons.

Geoff, 29, who has been clean and alcohol-free for eight months, has given his support to The Argus' campaign to stop people giving money to beggars.

He said: "If people would stop giving to beggars, in a month there would not be a begging problem here. The only reason people beg is because people give money to beggars."

Having spent six months begging in Brighton, Geoff is convinced most beggars in the town are drug addicts or alcoholics and that most are not homeless.

He said: "An important thing to remember is that if someone has £9 and you give them £1 they can get a bag of heroin and they can die. If it was your £1 would you want that on your conscience?

"The people who gave money to Nicki inadvertently aided her death."

Geoff said people needed to know some of the myths about begging.

He said: "If someone looks really thin and sleepy it is usually not because they are starving but because they are a heroin addict and they are 'gouching out' after taking heroin.

"Everyone begging is receiving benefits unless they've really messed up so much they miss their appointments. A lot of them are on sickness benefit, which is more than Jobseekers' Allowance.

"Also there's not a shortage of food in this town. There are plenty of organisations like the Homeless and Lonely Organisation (HALO), First Base and St Anne's, which give out food.

"When I begged I knew I was doing wrong - I had to drink. If I was having a bad day and I was thinking about packing up and someone came along and gave me £1, that would keep me out on the street."

Geoff said: "Eventually I got picked up by the Rough Sleepers Project. Most of the time I had turned them down.

"They found me and I was babbling and they thought I was suicidal. I had basically gone insane. This happens with the majority of people."

Geoff, homeless on and off for two years, was housed in a hostel and the YMCA until he moved into a flat owned by the Rough Sleepers Project six months ago.

Now a volunteer with Alcoholics Anonymous, he believes beggars need help with housing and drug and alcohol habits.

He urged people who want to help beggars to give money to the charities which work with them.