Police ban persistent beggars, rough sleepers and shoplifters from Waterloo Station

Posters explaining the 'withdrawal of implied permission' (WIP) scheme appeared at Waterloo shortly before Christmas.

According to the BTP, begging, shoplifting, alcohol-related crime and disorder and persistent rough sleeping all provide grounds for the issuing of a 'WIP order' revoking the consent of Network Rail for an individual to enter the station.

The 'WIP orders' were pioneered at Euston Station and have also been used at Victoria.

A WIP notice is valid for six months and people who enter the station after an order has been issued can be arrested for trespass.

People subject to a WIP order are also warned that they will be unable to collect methadone prescriptions from Boots the Chemist on the station concourse and that their records will be transferred to another branch.

We asked the BTP and Network Rail how many WIP orders had been issued at Waterloo. Neither the police nor the rail company replied to our requests for comment.