Florence to ban prostrate beggars blocking the way

FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) - Italy's cultural gem Florence, which has already banished car window-washers from its genteel streets, now wants to ban beggars prostrating themselves on pavements and roads, saying they are a threat to passers-by.

"We will prohibit begging on pavements and streets where it constitutes an obstacle or danger to traffic or pedestrians," said Graziano Cioni, head of urban safety at city hall, which is housed in the celebrated Palazzo Vecchio.

"Begging is not a crime, but beggars prostrated on the ground are a serious obstacle," Cioni, who has earned the nickname "Sheriff" for his initiatives, told Reuters.

He has drawn up a by-law which, once approved by the city council, will enable Florence police to remove beggars who do not remain standing while they seek alms from the public.

The initiative has the backing of the Italian Union of Blind People, which has complained that beggars, mopeds and bicycles blocking pavements constitute a grave danger to its members.

The proposal has its critics.

Lorenzo Cesa, a leader of the Catholic party the Union of Christian Democrats, said that while begging was a problem all over Italy, Florence's move smacked of "demagoguery" ahead of Italy's election scheduled for mid-April.

But Cioni defended the Tuscan city's record on helping those in need, saying: "We provide thousands of hot meals, beds and baths to those who need them. This isn't a measure against the poor but a question of common sense."

(Reporting by Silvia Ognibene; writing by Stephen Brown, editing by Mary Gabriel)