Violence marrs Easter weekend in Shoreham

THE Easter weekend was marred by violence in Adur, with seven people assaulted '“ two of them police officers.

On Easter Sunday evening, a taxi driver was repeatedly punched by three men he had picked up from Victoria Road, Portslade.

They had said they wanted to go to the Three Horseshoes pub in Lancing.

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On the journey, they shouted abuse at him and demanded money, before attacking him as he tried to drive across the Holmbush roundabout in Shoreham.

He showed them a small cash box, but they punched him in the face, breaking his nose, before running off. The taxi driver was taken to hospital for treatment.

Three hours or so later, police were called by an ambulance crew to a report of man running around in Culver Road, Lancing, with a knife, damaging cars. When they arrived, they realised the man and another nearby were suspects from the attempted robbery on the taxi driver.

As an officer tried to arrest one of them, he was bitten in the leg by the suspect and had to be taken to hospital.

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Anthony Hopkins, 19, of Stephens Way, Crawley, has been charged with attempted robbery, affray and assaulting a police officer.

Fred Dewey, 25, of Highdown, Southwick, has been charged with attempted robbery. Both were remanded in custody by Worthing magistrates on Tuesday.

On Good Friday evening, a 25-year-old man walking along Middle Road, Shoreham, was attacked by a gang of youths, who smashed a vodka bottle over his head, seriously injuring his hand and head.

He ran off across a garden and sought help from a passer-by, who called an ambulance. He underwent three hours of surgery and had to have 15 stitches.

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A police officer later suffered a head injury after he was kicked by one of the suspects as he tried to arrest him in Brighton Road, Lancing. Sergeant Anthony Leadbetter had to have stitches in the wound.

The 17-year-old youth was arrested for assault. Three other youths have also been arrested for assault and bailed to reappear at the police station on April 19.

Three French teenage boys were assaulted in Southwick Square by a gang of 20 youths on Thursday.

They were slapped and punched in the face and told to "go home".