Hammer attack takes place in broad daylight

The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon and left the victim needing stitches to the back of his head.

He had been sitting outside MJ's bar when three men arrived armed with tools and one struck him using a hammer and shouted abusive threats before driving off.

A member of the public described what happened as "very frightening" and said: "There was a lot of shouting. There was a black pick-up truck with three guys in it. One guy got out and rushed over there. I think he had a hammer '“ he whacked this chap across the back on the neck. Then he ran back across the road stuffing the hammer down the back of his trousers.

"One girl who was watching was so frightened she was shaking.

"Before they left he was shouting back at the guy '“ you are f****** dead, you are f****** dead.

"Then he jumped in the car and they went down the one-way street the wrong way.

"It was so close that it was very frightening. You don't see that every day from grown men.

"There was a crowd in the street and a lot going on. There were children nearby when this was happening and a young lad said to me '“ what a fracas, to think grown men would act like that in a place like this.

"There was all this broken glass over the pavement. And the shouting '“ you are dead, you are dead. "

Sussex Police responded quickly to the disturbance which happened just before 3.50pm and are now appealing for witnesses to what appeared to be the latest in a series of fights, shouting and noise disruption over the weekend, which included a shop front window being smashed and damage to a parked car.

Residents are claiming that at night-time they are worried by drug use and drinking in the street and feel intimidated.

Inspector James Scott said: "There are large numbers of youths in and around St Leonards Road causing anti-social behaviour. They are putting residents in fear.

"I think the reason this is happening is because we closed the Pelham pub so they are now going to the Bell and then coming down to MJ's. We dispersed the problem from the Pelham but that has brought it back to the town centre.

"People see these large groups of teenagers, or youngsters, and feel fearful for what is going to happen."

A resident of St Leonards Road said: "It was horrendous all weekend. "It is quite serious '“ it is really frightening.

"This is a residential area, people forget that, and there are multi-occupency flats above every shop, people with families.

"It might get worse before it gets better, but it is horrible and it has been that way for a while now."

A businessman commented that what happened on Tuesday was an unusual incident during the day but that he had heard from people living in the street that night-times were different, and added: "It changes. It becomes more of an evening-out street. A neighbour said that this is now a through route from MJ's to the Sovereign pub, which is a fair and valid point."