Busker convicted of begging: I'll challenge ridiculous, outdated law

A busker is taking on the law after being convicted of begging as he played his guitar on the streets.

Bernard Pierre is appealing against the conviction, arguing that the law under which he was charged should not apply to street performers.

Mr Pierre was found guilty at Horseferry magistrates' court last month and was given a £150 fine and conditional discharge.

The 54-year-old said: "At first I thought it was a wind-up because it seemed so ridiculous. I'd been busking at that location for four years and never had a problem."

Mr Pierre added: "The magistrate came out with some jargon from 1824. I said, 'Have you not got anything a bit more up to date?' I couldn't believe it."

Under the Vagrancy Act 1824, a person can be prosecuted for begging. "I'm of Caribbean descent and slavery existed in 1824. For me to be prosecuted as a beggar is an insult," said Mr Pierre. "I'm not robbing people, I'm singing to them. Why should I be labelled a criminal?"

Mr Pierre, who has been busking since 1991, has the support of Buskaction, which aims to prevent what they believe to be the persecution of buskers by police and local authorities. The group won a landmark ruling for Tube buskers, ensuring they cannot be jailed if they provide their details and pay a fine.

Bongo Mike, of Buskaction, said: "A lot of officials, including the police, see buskers as beggars and this prosecution is a sad reflection of that. I have a suspicion that they are looking for other laws to use since they lost the right to use the obstruction law against us."