United front sees a turn in Littlehampton’s street drinking woes

Trader Andrew Sleeman, left, with PCSO Kelly Mankelow and councillor Malcolm Belchamber, of Littlehampton Town Council

A UNIFIED approach to tackling Littlehampton’s problem with street drinkers is having a ‘significantly positive’ effect on the town, police and traders have claimed.

Last year the Gazette reported how the town centre had been under siege from anti-social drunks roaming the streets night and day.

At the time, traders were worried about the impact the drunkards were having on business, with many Littlehampton locals concerned about going into the town for fear of being verbally abused, business leaders said.

However, fast forward almost 12 months and the scene in the town has been dramatically changed.

The town's High Street has become a more friendly place since the campaign

Traders have united with Sussex Police, Arun District Council, Littlehampton Town Council and homeless charity Stonepillow to work out an action plan – one which is having a major impact on the town’s issues with street drinkers.

Andrew Sleeman has been running Spokes Cycles, in Beach Road, for about 26 years and was the first to speak publicly about his worries. However, talking to the Gazette this week, Mr Sleeman said: “Things honestly are a lot better. There’s been a massive change.

“I think this is because we have all come together – Arun, the town council, Stonepillow and the police – not to eradicate the problem but to communicate in a more effective way.

“I felt that for so long we had groups that were doing the best they could but just weren’t really talking to one another. We were all trying little bits and probably arguing with each other but now we’ve all just come together and it’s really working.”