Vandals trash toilet as they target Hove Lagoon

Business owners at the lagoon say they have “never seen it so bad” as it has been over the last 12 months with the toilets by the Big Beach Cafe trashed only this week.

Video of the incident shows a group of young people walking up to the site before kicking down the door of the council-owned men’s toilets at about 6.30pm on Wednesday.

They left behind a scene of destruction, with surfaces badly damaged and toilet paper strewn across the floor and cubicles.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: “We’re extremely disappointed that this is yet another attack of vandalism on the Hove Lagoon toilets.

“Every time this happens we have to close the toilets to carry out repairs. This costs the council and residents money and causes a lot of inconvenience.”

Police launched extra patrols at Hove Lagoon as business owners and members of the community raised concerns over increasing vandalism at the site over the last 12 months

But speaking to members of the community following this selfish act, it quickly became apparent this was not an isolated incident. They also reported damage to playground equipment, tables outside Fatboy Slim’s Big Beach Cafe being smashed and a person going to the toilet on a trampoline in the playground.

A spokesman for Lagoon Leisure, which runs equipment at Brighton Marina, the King Alfred and Hove Funplay at the Lagoon, said: “I have been on the seafront all my working life and have got businesses as far east as the marina, but the Lagoon is in a really bad point at the moment and I’m not sure why. I have never seen it so bad.

“Over the last 12 months, particularly at the end of last summer, it was really bad.

“Groups were meeting down here and starting little fires. It could turn into arson. It’s going to escalate and come to a head.

“It’s people’s livelihoods they are affecting as well, damaging equipment.”

Vandals trashed a toilet at Hove Lagoon

He said Lagoon Leisure had spent thousands of pounds making repairs to attractions such as trampolines which had been cut by vandals.

“We would be open now but can’t be because of Covid,” the spokesman said.

“This is a bit of a worry ahead of us reopening. It’s hard enough for businesses as it is at the moment, without these problems on top of everything else.”

Following the latest incident targeting the toilets by the Big Beach Cafe, which is owned by Dan Stockland and Fatboy, the cafe shared CCTV footage of the moment the vandals struck on Facebook.

Mr Stockland said there was an incredible response from customers, both in supporting the cafe and sharing the appeal for information.

The incident was reported to Sussex Police and officers said they stopped and spoke with a group of young people on Thursday, the day after the incident.

But residents, business owners and visitors alike are tired of seeing a place that means so much to them repeatedly being seen as a target for yobs.

Councillor Robert Nemeth, chairman of community group Friends of Hove Lagoon, said: “The Friends, which includes all of the Lagoon businesses, are thoroughly fed up with the mindless vandalism that takes place on a fairly regular basis, which has certainly spiked in recent weeks.”

“The police have done a fine job in upping patrols on the prom to tackle beach hut crime.

“The next focus must be on the Lagoon and the corners of nearby parks where regular criminal activity is slipping through the net.”

Group member Sue Johnson echoed these sentiments, and said she had been in touch with Brighton and Hove divisional commander chief superintendent Nick May over the matter.

“After I emailed chief constable Jo Shiner, police responded very quickly,” she said.

Police launched extra patrols at Hove Lagoon as business owners and members of the community raised concerns over increasing vandalism at the site over the last 12 months

“We spoke about ways of stopping Hove Lagoon from becoming a soft target.

“We want a plan to be in place, working with police, to stop this from happening again in future”.

Sussex Police sent additional patrols to Hove Lagoon yesterday, with officers meeting with business owners including Fatboy Slim to discuss the ongoing problems.

A force spokesman said: “As a result of a number of reports from the Hove Lagoon area this week, officers on patrol on Thursday evening were alerted to suspicious behaviour around the public toilets and were quickly on scene to stop and speak to a group of young people.

Police launched extra patrols at Hove Lagoon as business owners and members of the community raised concerns over increasing vandalism at the site over the last 12 months

“Their details were taken and an investigation is under way into damage that has been caused to the toilets on three separate occasions.

“We are aware of the problems that have been experienced in the Hove Lagoon area in recent weeks and have increased patrols in a bid to deter and identify the individuals involved.

“We are working with local businesses and representatives and would urge people to contact us in regard to any incidents of criminal damage or antisocial behaviour.

“Anyone with information about the recent vandalism to the toilets is asking to report online or call 101 quoting serial 188 of 10/03.