Exclusive: At least 485 arrests made under Vagrancy Act 1824 since Labour government came to power

All three forces declined to provide a comment in response to their use of the act.

However, a National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesperson said: “The Vagrancy Act 1824 is still in place, therefore individual police forces will continue to use current legislation as appropriate until any such changes are formally passed by the government.

“Police forces continue to work with a range of partners, including local authorities, drug, alcohol and mental health workers, on matters surrounding homelessness and rough sleeping, to ensure the appropriate agency plays their part in addressing the underlying reasons for homelessness and we all respond appropriately to issues facing our communities.

“These are complex societal issues that can only be solved with long-term thinking and effective collaboration.

“The role of the police is to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, which may be linked to some street communities. Arrest may be necessary in some circumstances where other avenues have been fully explored.”

The government was also contacted for a response. However, in February it announced that £50m of extra investment will be split across two programmes and will help it meet the national target to halve long-term rough sleeping by the end of this parliament.

A three-year grant programme worth £37m – the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund – will be “allocated competitively” to small and medium-sized organisations delivering day-to-day prevention and support services across England.

Introduced towards the end of the Georgian era, the Vagrancy Act was initially used to deal with an increase in homelessness after the Napoleonic Wars and during the Industrial Revolution.

While use of the act against rough sleeping has declined significantly over time in line with a greater understanding around the causes of homelessness, it has remained enforceable in law.

Its repeal comes at a time when the latest government figures show the number of people sleeping rough in England increased by 20% in one year.

News of the act’s scrapping was welcomed by several major charities when it was announced last year.

Matt Downie, chief executive of charity Crisis, described the decision as “a landmark moment that will change lives and prevent thousands of people from being pushed into the shadows, away from safety”.