Prosecutions for begging have rocketed across England and Wales over the past year with dramatic increases recorded in many police force areas.

The number of cases brought to court under the 1824 Vagrancy Act has surged by 70%, prompting concerns that cuts to support services and benefits are pushing more people to resort to begging.

Some areas have spiked spectacularly. The number of charges for begging in the area covered by Merseyside police rose nearly 400% from 60 cases to 291 in 12 months, while Thames Valley, which covers relatively prosperous Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, showed a similar rate of increase from 20 cases to 92.

Numbers more than doubled in Greater Manchester, a rise the local force attributed to a change in policing strategy. In Manchester city centre, community support officers have been trained to issue court summonses. Local businesses have also been encouraged to report homelessness and begging.

London and the West Midlands showed rises in excess of 50%, while areas that previously recorded negligible charges for begging also showed big increases. The number in Lincolnshire rose from a single case to 48, while Derbyshire went from seven to 39 and Suffolk from 15 to 44. Cambridgeshire had 80 prosecutions, up from 45, while Cheshire showed an increase from 30 to 71.

Figures provided by the Crown Prosecution Service following a freedom of information request show there were 2,771 cases brought before magistrates courts in England and Wales under section 3 of the Vagrancy Act, which deals with begging, in 2013-14, compared with 1,626 the previous year.

The total is also comfortably the highest recorded in any of the past five years.

The statistics raise the question of how much the rise reflects an increased appetite for using the criminal justice system to tackle begging, which is often linked to antisocial behaviour revolving around alcohol and drug abuse, or whether there are simply more people resorting to begging.

The Association of Chief Police Officers said there had been no change in national policy though it is known that individual forces often publicise operations targeting begging.

Homeless Link, a national umbrella body for support groups, said its members were reporting an increase in begging with cuts to support services and benefits contributing to the rise.

Gary Messenger, head of strategy and partnerships for Homeless Link, said: “Our members report an increase in begging in some parts of England, this could explain the increase in enforcement. In terms of why begging has increased, we believe there are a number of contributing factors but that reductions or restrictions to benefits and cuts to local support services are playing a part.

“Our research indicates, for example, that benefit sanctions and the resulting financial hardship have pushed some individuals towards greater use of food banks and even survival crime. It is not impossible that it has also led more individuals to beg.”

The CPS figures for London show an increase in charges from 508 to 813 – the highest number in the country – but a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan police said it had a responsibility to make London a safer place by tackling begging.

She said: “Begging can cause considerable concern to residents, workers and visitors, particularly those who feel intimidated by this activity.”

In Merseyside, Ch Insp Mark Morgan insisted his force did not prosecute vulnerable people unless they were aggressive, repeat offenders who had failed to engage in offers of support.

“We receive a lot of complaints from the local business community around the adverse impact which begging has upon the perception of visitors to the city,” he said.

“Sometimes prosecution is one way in which we can give these people some support through orders upon sentencing. We work closely in partnership with the local authority and partner agencies to work with these vulnerable groups of people to provide them with support and pathways away from begging.”

The Booth Centre in Manchester, which has been working with homeless people in the city for 20 years, said it had noticed a large increase in begging.

Amanda Croome, the centre’s chief executive, said the increase was directly linked to a change in policing.

“Greater Manchester police used to have a dedicated begging unit. They were very proactive and worked closely with us and other groups to ensure people got the help and support they need as well as enforcing a no-begging policy. Now the job is being done by general officers and community support officers, who tend to just issue cautions and people get small fines rather than being arrested. It’s not enough of a deterrent to fine somebody £60 who can earn £200 a day begging.”

Previously the focus was on greater punishment and on helping people engage with support agencies, she said. People would only be arrested if they didn’t engage. Since this dedicated unit was disbanded there has been a significant increase in the numbers of people who are begging, she told the council earlier this year.

Croome urged members of the public not to give to people who beg but to homelessness charities instead, such as Manchester’s Change 4 Good project.

“Even if people just keep their money rather than giving it to a charity, it would make it easier for us to encourage and enable people to move away from the streets, it’s the easy money which is trapping people in a life of begging,” she said. “Unfortunately people are too generous, but they may as well be handing out drugs and alcohol. Often people begging claim they are getting money for a hostel, but no hostel expects people to pay cash upfront; their rent would be covered by housing benefit.”