'Police letting us down'

The public in the Town Hall council chamber were clearly pleased that the reason he was late was that he had been making an arrest although they wanted action on a variety of problems.

Worried and angry people attending the consultative meeting demanded:

*Why hadn't police taken action to clear travellers from the Down?

*Why weren't police dealing effectively with problem families making neighbours lives a misery at Pebsham?

*Why were calls for police to shift cars blocking pavements for walkers and pushchairs ignored?

*Why had Sidley not had the two local officers it had been promised?

Cllr Peter Fairhurst said problem families brought into Pebsham from elsewhere by housing associations had so terrorised neighbours that four families had been moved out for their safety.

When a housing officer called to investigate she had a police escort.

The previous evening two neighbours had come to him in despair after the situation became so violent that their children had to scramble over the back fence and hide in fields.

"They feel that the police are doing nothing to help them."

Retired senior police officer Cllr Bill Clements demanded to know why action had not been taken to clear travellers from the Down using Section 61 police powers.

The Human Rights Act gave people the right to privacy and to live in peace and safety. People in nearby Newlands Avenue had been denied that.

Chief Inspector Mathews said: "I am aware of the concerns and issues raised over the use of Section 61. We are guided by Sussex Police over the use of Section 61. It is a power that is available to us. It is one that we have used on a number of occasions in Rother since I have been here.

"Whether the circumstances in August required that I would dispute. What is clear is that our procedures and liaison with Rother need tidying up.

"Section 61 would give us power to move travellers from an area - but it doesn't give us power to tell them where to go."