Nuisance alcoholics thrown out of UK
Two alcoholics have been thrown out of the country for their persistent nuisance behaviour.
Marek Grega, a 54-year-old Slovakian man, and Waldemar Sadowski, a 41-year-old from Poland, were both arrested after concerns raised by communities across West Bromwich about their anti-social antics.
They are the latest to be ejected from the UK, after a Polish man became the first nuisance drinker to be removed from the country for his behaviour in West Bromwich in December.
Grega, who had been in the country for more than three years, spent most of his stay living on the streets. In more recent times he had taken to making a multi-storey car park his home, as well as his toilet.
His time in the UK was defined by alcohol abuse - when officers arrested him after receiving complaints from shoppers, his collection of empty cider bottles was so large that they filled a builder's sand bag.
Sadowski had been in the UK for five years, during which he turned to a life of shoplifting and begging to fund an alcohol addiction.
Despite periods of employment during his stay, Sadowski was well known by officers in Sandwell and Birmingham, as members of the public regularly complained about his illegal street begging.
Further inquiries revealed he was claiming Job Seekers Allowance and housing benefits.
Inspector Akeel Najib, from Sandwell Police said: "It is important to remember that these people were persistent offenders of anti-social behaviour.
"Both men were also given ample opportunities to turn their lives around but instead continued to place significant demands on a host of services including the police."
In the eight months prior to his return to Slovakia, officers had made attempts to encourage Grega to seek support from charities to deal with his alcohol dependency.
But after failing to turn up to meetings he was arrested and a decision made to return him to his home country.
The police have now pledged that they will continue to consider the use of removal from the UK in response to community concerns.
Inspector Najib added: "This action, in conjunction with Home Office Immigration Enforcement, shows that we take concerns raised by local communities seriously and we will not tolerate acts of anti-social behaviour.
"Those who have already been returned to their home country were unable to demonstrate that they were working, looking for work, studying, or were self-sufficient."
Mary Halle, West Midlands Home Office Immigration Enforcement assistant director, said: "This operation shows that we work closely with West Midlands Police and other agencies to take strong action against those abusing our immigration laws.
"In this case, both men were asked to prove that they met the criteria to stay in the country and were removed from the UK when they failed to do so.
"The Home Office expects people to be here legally and if they are not, and do not return home voluntarily, we will take action to enforce their removal."
