These comments are all in favour of buskers as far as I can see. There is a downside - how many times have you been forced to endure a prat in the London Underground, amateurishly thrashing away at a third-rate version of Streets of London or other done-to-death song?

I'm not saying they're all like that, and maybe these are unlicenced performers, like the ones that get on the tube and go round collecting from passengers, but they're not all good by any means.