This practice besmirches the good name of Portugal and must put a dark stain on the victim’s experience here.

One such scary and unpleasant encounter with one of these often aggressive and odoriferous parasites would surely negate and harm Portugal’s Tourist Board’s costly promotional activities abroad to promote Portugal.

But harassing tourists seems to be legal here as the police look on and do nothing.

At least one of these beggars is not starving as he smokes ready made cigarettes and can afford a mobile phone.

And washing their hands? Well, that would be a start!

Perhaps it’s me showing my age? Maybe the younger generations accept this practice as normal in today’s so called modern world?

While I’m on a roll, let’s not use colonial spelling of the English language here ~ ‘tire’ (Deco) should be tyre and ‘flavor’ (book review) should be flavour...

Ray Scott, Faro.