A “softly, softly” approach by police is turning Totnes into a “free for all” for heroin addicts and beggars, a town councillor has protested.

Police revealed they are trying to help homeless beggars and drug addicts rather than arrest and prosecute them.

But Cllr Andy Sims warned the approach was simply giving the addicts the green light to beg and take drugs on the town centre streets.

“They are not feeling the pressure that they are doing something illegal. What we are saying is that it is fine to beg and fine to take drugs,” he said.

“They think that we are a soft touch and they will just get cautions and a recommendation to rehab.”

He claimed that more and more people addicted to drugs were in the town begging.

“It’s a free for all. Even if they are caught with heroin, the worst they will get is a caution,” he said.

Totnes has just seen its public toilets closed down for days on end because they have been turned into danger zones by drug addicts, while the problem over homeless beggars has been an issue in the town for the last 18 months.

The town’s neighbour police team boss Sgt Tim Perrin police were no longer looking at arresting beggars who simply ended up being chucked back on the streets after a night in the cells.

Instead, officers are working with other agencies to try to get homeless beggars off the streets, which, he explained, also helped address street drugs issues and low-level antisocial behaviour.

“We see them as vulnerable individuals. They are all really nice lads and ladies who have, for whatever reason, ended up where they are,” he said.

He added that while the police work had been successful in finding homeless beggars somewhere to live, he admitted more beggars had simply arrived in the town to take their place. And he put this down to generous residents and the support for homeless people that is available.

“A lot of people come here because the community continually hands out stuff,” he said.

He said that when police officers stopped to question beggars, they end up surrounded by residents demanding to know why they are “harassing this poor drug addict”. He added: “We are stuck between a rock and hard place.”

He said the town supplied help to the homeless, providing them with things like food, hot drinks and hot showers. ”We have become attractive to people who are begging,” he added.

Cllr Sims warned that the helpful police policy was also causing problems.

“We have now got beggars who know they are not going to be prosecuted. We are getting more and more people coming to the town who are begging and addicted to drugs.”

MP?Dr Sarah Wollaston joined the debate about drugs in Totnes on her Facebook page. She said: “Anyone using drugs in Totnes needs to ask themselves why they are supporting the dealers and their murderous cartels infesting our communities.

“Stop destroying young lives in our town and around the world and stop supporting drug dealers.”

She added: “I recognise that requires better access to treatment for addicts and will continue to make the case for reversing cuts to public health budgets. But recreational users are fuelling the drug supply and the coffers of the cartels.”

Her posts attracted comments from other Facebook users.

Morwenna Yaoing said: “Any politician in Totnes or elsewhere, opining about dealers and murderous cartels needs to ask themselves why they aren’t lobbying parliament at every available opportunity, demanding the immediate decriminalisation of possession and consumption of drugs, in order that the societal issues can be properly addressed.”

Ms Yaoinog linked to a Guardian article published in December which explained the progress Portugal had made dealing with drug problems there, by decriminalising the possession and consumption of all illicit substances. Portugal has since seen a dramatic fall in problematic drug use, HIV and hepatitis infection rates, overdose deaths, drug-related crime and imprisonment rates since it changed its laws.

Susana Ferreira wrote: “Those caught with a personal supply might be given a warning, a small fine, or told to appear before a local commission – a doctor, a lawyer and a social worker – about treatment, harm reduction, and the support services that were available to them.”

And Stephen Miller said: “When will we learn that drug use amongst young people is not a law enforce problem, it’s a social phenomena that is complex and diverse. It has also been around a long time.

“Stop wringing our hands in moral outrage and sensationalising with headlines which leads with ‘schoolchildren‘ and start investing and rebuilding communities in a way that is inclusive and meaningful."