Hastings town centre workers feel ‘intimidated’ by street drinkers: business owners say ‘enough is enough’

The businesses, already struggling due to the Covid-19 pandemic, said the issue of street drinkers congregating on the benches in Wellington Place has been putting people off visiting the town for the past few years.

Business owners said incidents of drinking in public, drug-taking, and anti-social behaviour, including public urination, loud music and shouting, have been reported to the police and the council on a number of occasions.

However, business owners said very little has been done to address the problems.

They have now written an open letter to local councillors and Hastings Police asking them to provide a ‘safe and clean environment’ by ensuring all offenders are held accountable for their actions.

William Sparacia, the owner of Sculpture Salon, said he investigated the issues in the town centre after a member of his staff complained about feeling unsafe in the area outside the salon.

He said: “I was shocked to witness the level of intimidation that they have to endure when they come to work. When you are facing a crowd of heavy drinkers and drug users you will never know which action to take. Do you challenge them as the area is clearly marked as an alcohol-free zone and be open to abuse and harassment, do you ignore it and come to terms that the laws do not apply to all the citizens equally, or do you call the police and witness their inability to apply the current laws?

“Myself and the other business owners have told the council and police: enough is enough.”

Mr Sparacia contacted a number of Hastings councillors about the issues and said he was ‘astonished’ when one councillor said benches and plants in the town centre had been removed in a bid to resolve the problem.

A manager at Costa Coffee, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, said staff members have felt wary serving customers seated outside the shop due to the verbal abuse and intimidation they receive from street drinkers.

The manager of Millets, who only gave his name as Steve, said he has contacted the police on a number of occasions after his staff requested to leave early to avoid ‘possible intimidation’.

Aidan Cornwall, an inspector with Hastings Police, said the force was aware of concerns from residents and businesses, regarding those who are ‘gathering and drinking on a regular basis’ in the town centre.

He said: “The town centre in Hastings is covered by a Public Space Protection Order which bans anti-social behaviour and the consumption of alcohol within this area. Sussex Police support the local authority in the enforcement of this order and we meet regularly with them and the Business Crime Reduction Partnership to jointly plan our response.

“Whilst we will respond to any reports of crime or anti-social behaviour in the town centre robustly we do recognise that issuing fines to people with complex needs or moving on groups is not a permanent solution to this problem. We are working with our partners to find a long term solution to this problem.”

Susannah Elliot, the manager of Jempson’s Coffee Shop, has been working in Hastings town centre for more than ten years and said the anti-social behaviour problem is worsening.

She and her superior wrote to Hastings and Rye MP Sally-Ann Hart after the group of street drinkers created an ‘uncomfortable and difficult environment’ for the business and its customers.

She added: “I decided action is needed to remove the current uncomfortable and lawless felling in the town centre. Making sure that my staff and I feel safe when attending our customers must be a priority.

“In the current situation, it is upsetting to witness the current deterioration of our town centre. The first step to resolve the current problem is to acknowledge rather than trying to hide it.”

In response, Sally-Ann Hart said: “We should take a zero tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour and those that are responsible for it. I completely understand the concerns and anger that local businesses in Hastings town centre feel.

“I am aware that the Government has outlined antisocial behaviour tools and powers that local authorities, individuals and communities can use to tackle it. These make it quicker and easier to take action against the perpetrators of anti-social behaviour and I know that these powers are being used to good effect by our local police and councils in Hastings and Rye, and I would support and encourage their continued use to crack down on this menace to local business and residents.”

The Hastings Business Improvement District (BID), a steering group aiming to improve the town, said it shares the concerns of town centre business owners.

Manager John Bownas said: “It’s a real shame that the actions of a small handful of people have such a negative impact on the town. We know from close working with the police and the council that they do a lot of work with this group. But we also know that a lot of this effort goes unnoticed because, regardless of outreach support and enforcement of fines, we are faced with a few individuals whose behaviour seems unlikely to change.

“It’s important though that any serious incident is always reported. Every town centre business has free membership of Hastings BusinessWatch, and this gives an easy way of logging reports against individuals through a simple phone app. These reports all help if and when legal action becomes necessary – and indeed a number of cases are now reaching the court stage after the delays caused by Covid.”

Mr Sparacia and Ms Elliott joined together with the owner of Carib de l’Afrique, two café owners, as well as the managers of Millets and Costa in an open letter to the council and Hastings Police.

In the letter, they added: “We do believe we will still enjoy our beautiful town centre if the basic deterrent and preventative measures were applied.

“We need to make sure that our local and out of town visitors enjoy and share their positive experience in our town centre.

“We believe in the opportunity for the future is what attracts many investors into the town centre.”