My Antisocial Town Centre
In this special investigative report, new HIP writer JAMES ARNOLD-HO presents a detailed picture of the acute problems facing businesses and their employees in Hastings’ busy town centre throughfare, Wellington Place
Hastings police stand accused of ‘lacking enforcement’ over aggressive begging and antisocial behaviour in the Wellington Place area of the town centre, while the council confirms an increase in disruptive incidents involving groups of young people.
Local shop workers, managers and owners have told HIP of numerous incidents including fist-fights and other disturbances which, they say, often involve street sleepers and people with alcohol and drug dependency problems.
A spokesperson for Hastings Borough Council (HBC) told us: “East Sussex County Council’s Youth Offending Service and Early Help teams have been working alongside Sussex Police to identify the ringleaders and ensure that serious offenders are appropriately dealt with, while also seeking opportunities to divert young people away from offending behaviour through early intervention.”
One employee at the local McDonald’s in Wellington Place witnessed a fight breaking out in the fast-food outlet during his evening shift. “It wasn’t clear who started it,” he said, “but it was between a middle-aged man and three teenage boys. Fortunately, no weapons were involved, but the scuffle resulted in blood being spilt onto the shop floor. It was extremely intimidating.”
IMPROBABLE EXPERIENCE
These firsthand experiences from locals and workers are evidence that contradict the idea of a family-friendly atmosphere in Wellington Place. In daytime, the experiences seem improbable; police are patrolling, and the Hastings community is enjoying the heat, in the hotter than average 2026 summer. Yet the area shows many symptoms of decline; shops on the brink of closure are running emergency sales. Litter wafts along the gutters and remnants of rough sleeping camps – mattresses and sleeping bags – are present for all to see. Shops’ corrugated shutters are scrawled with graffiti. According to local workers, by evening there are insufficient police on the beat – which is when instances of antisocial behaviour rear their head.
The problems are far from new. A senior manager at Kokoro, which serves East Asian cuisine, said they petitioned Sally-Ann Hart during her time as Hastings MP between 2019 and 2025. After six meetings with her and Police Commissioners, they finally got a Police Pod installed two years ago. This is a portable or temporary policing hub – effectively a miniature police station – with CCTV coverage of the surrounding area.
Kokoro cited an incident where local boys had thrown a cup of McDonald’s coca-cola at their front counter, resulting in the damages of store Point-Of-Sale (POS) equipment. Since then, they have banned groups of young boys from using their outside seating.
On the topic of repeated antisocial behaviour from local young people, a council spokesman has said: “We are aware of concerns about antisocial behaviour in Hastings town centre. Over the past couple of months there has been an increase in incidents involving groups of young people, and the Safer Hastings Partnership has been closely monitoring the situation and coordinating a multi-agency response. East Sussex County Council’s Youth Offending Service and Early Help teams have been working alongside Sussex Police to identify the ringleaders and ensure that serious offenders are appropriately dealt with, while also seeking opportunities to divert young people away from offending behaviour through early intervention.”
ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE
The council says the partnership has funded youth outreach services to patrol some of the more secluded locations where young people tend to gather during the warmer months and that this work is continuing, with additional support from Active Hastings and Hastings Commons. All of which “helps to engage young people in the wide range of positive diversionary activities available across the town”.
However employees at both Millets and Kamsons Pharmacy say there is an ‘increasing trend’ towards unprevented, street-based antisocial behaviour, often worsening towards the evening. One argued that the decision of JD Sports to actively prosecute shoplifters acts as a far greater deterrent than the patchy police presence.
Besides commenting on actions taken against young people, the HBC spokesperson said: “The council and its partners recognise the impact that antisocial behaviour can have on residents, businesses and visitors. Tackling these issues remains a priority. The Antisocial Behaviour Public Spaces Protection Order (ASB PSPO) is an important enforcement tool, helping agencies tackle a wide range of antisocial behaviour and manage alcohol consumption in public places.”
INCREASED SHOPLIFTING
According to Sussex police data, overall crime in the area has declined slightly between May 2025 and 2026, particularly antisocial crime – yet shoplifting has proportionally increased. The solar-powered Pod, which cost around £12,000 to install as part of a £1.4 million county-wide investment, has previously been attributed to a 14% decline in hotspot area crime.
HBC told us that they recognise the importance of a visible police presence in the town centre, particularly during busy periods and in warmer weather, and “partners continue to work closely with Sussex Police to respond to emerging issues and community concerns.”
However HIP’s investigation showed a marked discrepancy between official police initiatives and the actual experiences and sentiments felt by Wellington Place visitors and employees on the ground.
A senior staff member at Vape & Mobile, who along with most people we spoke to asked to remain anonymous, expressed their grievances at the persistent presence of “local pissheads, drug addicts and pushy beggars”. They recalled their experience of rough sleepers at their shop windows, which would trigger security sensors in product display windows and deter potential customers. They said that many of these antisocial individuals “tended to be the same faces”, and observed that whilst the police showed presence, this presence lacked enforcement of aggressive begging in the area.
Several people pointed to the presence of Change Grow Live, a CGL-managed Alcohol and Drugs rehabilitation centre, stationed based in Wellington Place as contributing to the problems in the area. The Kokoro restaurant say they “hit a stone wall” in trying to get this moved to a new location following discussions with Sally-Ann Hart and the police.
EXTENSIVE DRUG SUPPORT
Not everyone thinks that moving the service would solve the area’s problems. According to the Change Grow Live website their drugs team provides essential support for people who use a wide range of drugs including opiates, cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, MDMA and steroids. They also provide a needle exchange and “recovery-focused counselling, detox and rehab programmes”. One Hastings Resident told HIP that closing or moving a valuable resource like that could exacerbate addiction related problems of antisocial behaviour. And, anyway, it was wrong to blame people with addiction and possible mental health issues for all the problems in Wellington Place.
The council says that The Safer Hastings Partnership works closely with housing services, substance misuse services, health partners and voluntary organisations such as Seaview to address the complex issues that can contribute to antisocial behaviour. Recognising that antisocial behaviour is often a symptom of more complex personal circumstances, the partnership aims to balance enforcement with appropriate support and intervention.
Hastings is the third most deprived authority district in East Sussex, making it more likely that individuals can fall into difficult circumstances. The existence of support centres is essential to the community, for if people involved in antisocial behaviour as a cause of drug or alcohol addiction have no support in rebuilding their lives there seems every likelihood they will continue to cause harm to themselves or other
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