Vandals’ attack branded an ‘insult to Littlehampton’

The easy-to-read sign on the seafront was damaged during the night on Monday, February 16.

Arun District Council’s leader, councillor Gill Brown, who is also responsible for economic regeneration, said the damage ‘undermined’ the work Arun was carrying out with traders to ‘improve and promote Littlehampton’.

“We are trying with the signage and other projects to attract more people to the town and that in turn will boost tourism, support trade and create employment,” she said. “Damaging public property like this is an insult to the people of Littlehampton.

“In simple terms, this is criminal behaviour and should be treated as such. We will repair the signs, but it is an entirely unnecessary public expense, which is having to me met by local council tax payers, incurred due to the stupid and selfish behaviour of an individual or a group of individuals.”

The new signs were put up in Littlehampton town centre, the seafront and riverside by Arun.

It was part of a scheme to designed to help modernise and regenerate the town.

Celia Thomson-Hitchcock, Littlehampton Town Team Lead of the Portas Pilot Project, said: “Maintaining a vibrant and visually appealing town centre, riverside and seafront are key to the success of this town.

“We are therefore appalled and outraged by this mindless vandalism. There is absolutely no excuse for it. The signs are a real addition to a Littlehampton we should all be proud of.”

Sussex Police is investigating the incident.

The force is appealing for anyone with any information to contact them by calling 101 or emailing [email protected] quoting crime reference number 47150020914.