Police station commander Senior-Sergeant Chris Parr and Guardian Pharmacy manager Ewan Yeo were reacting to a petition urging Wodonga Council to tackle High Street beggars.

Senior-Sergeant Parr said begging outside Coles supermarket in High Street had not been brought to police as a concern.

“We’re very prepared to work with the Wodonga Council if they deem it to be a problem, but we’ve not had any complaints about begging for alms in that area,” he said.

The officer had seen busking there but not begging.

Mr Yeo, whose shop adjoins Coles, said he would not support the petition.

“There’s never been a problem, I can’t think of the last time a customer felt in danger or threatened by the people out the front,” he said.

“It is a gathering place for a lot of people who may be unsavoury looking, it has been a gathering point for a long time, but there’s not been constant fights.

“If the council were to deal with it, the easiest way would be to remove the stone feature bench and the public benches, that would be the easiest, but from what I’ve observed there’s never been a problem.”

Mr Yeo’s experience contrasts with that of Border Mail readers who, in Facebook posts, told of being accosted for money and cigarettes and being harassed and made uncomfortable.

In response to a suggestion that his chemist’s methadone program was a magnet for drawing loiterers, Mr Yeo said he took a hard line against users who caused trouble.

“They know not to play up, if they do they get kicked out straight away,” he said.

“Some of them do play up and do deals in the car park but they know not to do it in the premises or out the front because we will call the police.”

Mr Yeo believes touters for sponsorship charity funds are more of a problem than beggars in Wodonga.

“They’re very pushy and they won’t take no for an answer and they want to get you to sign up with your credit card to some non-existent kid overseas,” he said.

Wodonga Council will answer the petition, compiled by resident Michelle McGowan, at its April meeting.

Ms McGowan was motivated to act after having her purse stolen while sitting outside Coles.