Petrol station locks up after kids raid

Children as young as eight and nine began banging on the doors and windows after staff closed the premises.

At their peak on Wednesday, up to 50 caravans, pick-up trucks and associated vehicles were scattered across the Glyne Gap field, vacated only three days before by Cottle Austen's Circus.

Police and land-owner, farmer Roger Cossor of Lower Wilting Farm at Crowhurst, began a running battle with the travellers on Tuesday.

A steadily-increasing stream of vehicles began to arrive at the padlocked gate of the field adjoining the congested A259 on the Bexhill-St Leonards boundary shortly before mid-day.

By dawn on Wednesday there were vehicles scattered across the entire field, due to be used on Sunday for the next in the regular Summer series of authorised boot fairs.

At the Esso station, Ryan Mears said: "A horde of kids came in. They were trying to nick stuff left, right and centre. I caught one trying to steal tyre-weld!

"We had to clear them out and lock the premises.

"Then they started hammering on the door and windows and kicking them to try and get in."

Traffic came to a standstill in De La Warr Road and Bexhill Road late Wednesday afternoon as about a dozen lorries and caravans left the field in convoy, heading west. Other vehicles remained.