Brighton city centre road blighted by drugs and anti-social behaviour

Zion Gardens in Brighton city centre has been ravaged by graffiti, drug needles and people openly urinating in the street.

Residents said that despite complaining about the issue for over a year, problems still remain – and claimed the council is not doing enough to fix the problem.

Police said they are working specifically to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour in the tight street behind Queen's Road. But residents are calling for more action.

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I clean the graffiti off the walls myself because I am the one who has to look at it every day.

Drug paraphernalia left in Zion Gardens (Image: Supplied)

“My children know too much about drugs because of this. They should be able to play football safely in the street if they want to.

“We don’t deserve this. We have tried everything, it's horrific.

“The council don’t care – they should be doing something. But I’m not moving anywhere – they should be doing something.”

The Argus previously reported residents’ concerns that Zion Gardens was being treated “like a toilet” with people openly using the street to urinate.

Residents now say that they have experienced people taking cocaine on their garden walls and people lying in the streets after taking heroin.

One person who said they had lived in Brighton for over 10 years added that issues have worsened since they moved into Zion Gardens.

Rubbish left in Zion Gardens (Image: Supplied)

Brighton and Hove City Councillor Andrei Czolak said he was “concerned” by the ongoing issues in Zion Gardens and had been working with Sussex Police to help tackle problems.

He said: “As a council which is committed to making sure our city is a safe place for all our residents we are concerned by the on-going issues residents are facing in Zion Gardens and have been working with Sussex Police on a joint approach to tackle these problems.

“For example, we have recently increased how often our teams are visiting Zion Gardens to clean the area to three times a week. We will continue to do what we can to keep the area tidy and free from drug paraphernalia while also exploring how our drug and alcohol outreach services can increase their input into the Zion Gardens area in the very near future.

“We are currently working on a new drug and alcohol strategy for the city which will increase the support we can provide to communities experiencing drug and alcohol-related anti-social behaviour like those in Zion Gardens and address specific concerns raised by residents.

“We understand how frustrating this situation is for everyone who has been impacted and would always encourage residents to report any problems directly to Sussex Police so resources can be targeted on those areas most affected.”