Police emphasise ‘no disorder in Sussex’ following social media rumours

However, the police say they remain alert to the rumours and have an increased presence in cities and towns in Sussex.

The Force is again providing mutual aid to the Metropolitan Police and a number of officers and vehicles have been sent to the capital.

However, this has been resourced from officers recalled from rest days and has not affected the normal policing of Sussex.

A spokesman said: “It is important that we do all we can to prevent the sad scenes that we are seeing elsewhere and we would appeal to everyone of all ages and from all walks of life to disregard the rumour-mongering that is unnecessarily raising tensions and fears in some Sussex communities.

“We also recognise that the current situation is a national issue, which we are keen to support wherever possible. This will not be at the expense of policing in Sussex. We will always put local needs first, we are prepared in the event of any disorder and we will keep people informed of any incidents that might occur.”