Teens terrorise Brighton with relentless assaults and shoplifting

Antisocial behaviour is widespread across Sussex, impacting cities, towns and villages alike.

Police have been forced to issue dispersal orders following incidents involving young people, with one in place this weekend in Barnham, a village which has been in the news for weeks for being 'held hostage by feral youths'.

Brighton city centre is also a frequent victim of antisocial behaviour committed by children and adults alike.

Sussex Police statistics show that, in March alone, 34 public order offences, 74 shoplifting offences, and 80 violence and sexual offences were reported in the city centre.

The Argus has spoken to shop workers in the area who say they have been subjected to verbal abuse, vicious assaults and relentless shoplifting from teenagers.

A Poundland worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “This sort of behaviour is happening every day, between 4 and 7pm. It’s worse during school term time. We get thefts, assaults, everything. It’s just chaos.”

Poundland in Western Road is a frequent target of antisocial behaviour (Image: The Argus)

Another member of staff revealed that he had been assaulted three times by groups of teenagers, including being hit and sprayed in the face with aerosols.

“They come in big groups and steal things," he said. "We try to stop them but they just get abusive and aggressive.

“You can’t touch them and that means they just do what they want.”

Another said that one staff member quit as they were beaten and bruised by young people.

One Argus reporter witnessed an incident involving a group of approximately seven teenagers seemingly aged about 12 or 13 who were causing trouble in shops up and down Western Road.

She said: “On Tuesday, just before 6pm, a gang of twelve-year-old boys shouted at a Poundland member of staff because she would not let them in.

“It looked like she had recognised them and was holding the door shut. They were very aggressive.

“They then headed to Bert's where they were loud and seemingly trying to distract the worker at the till.”

The manager in Bert's Home Store said members of staff had to ask the teenagers to leave the store, as they were throwing stock around.

Primark is also a frequent target of theft and aggression, the store’s manager and a member of security said.

“They take bundles of stock and just walk out with it," the manager, who also wishes to remain anonymous, said.

"It’s awful and it happens all the time. We can’t do much about it as we try to remove them and they hurl abuse at us.”

A member of the security team added that the antisocial behaviour had got worse in recent months, as he sees it every day across multiple shops.

Careless youths have also been seen riding bikes through the centre of North Street, running red lights and nearly missing pedestrians at crossings and buses, before hurling abuse at passers-by who challenged them.

The Argus requested comments from councillors Alison Thomson and Andrei Czolak, who cover Western Road.

Alison Thomson, Labour councillor for Regency, said: “This sort of behaviour is a huge issue for our high streets, both locally and nationally.

“It can have devastating effects on the people who are subjected to it. The Council is committed to working with employers and Sussex Police to address this problem."

Andrei Czolak, Labour councillor for Brunswick & Adelaide, said: "We would encourage local businesses and residents to report any acts of antisocial behaviour to the police as soon as possible.

“In doing so, residents can assist our local workforce by helping the police bring offenders to justice.

“I will be writing to Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne OBE, to draw her attention to these ongoing issues that local businesses are having to contend with.”

Sussex Police Chief Inspector Simon Marchant said: "As a division, we conduct regular patrols in the city alongside our partners to improve safety and offer a visible presence, providing a clear point of contact for the public and serving as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour.

"We are also working to identify prolific offenders, seeking orders to limit the harm they cause and taking further action when necessary.

"The information we receive from the community is crucial to tackling anti-social behaviour and we continue to encourage reporting any concerns to us.

“You can report a concern by calling 101 or online. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”