Back when I lived in Semilong (March 1987 to September 1990) the received opinion was that the majority came down from Birmingham to solicit in the area. My recollection is that the police/local authority named and shamed kerb crawlers in the Chron including one of the area's postmen and a bank manager.
Having had a barney with my missus, I once spent the night in my truck cab, parked up in the Super Sausage carpark. Birminghams finest were soon around, banging on the door.