Is it worth having a beach hut on the seafront? I'm beginning to wonder after seeing the burnt out remains of one of them last week. Are they too vulnerable at the moment? Should there be police down there protecting them?

By Hovian at 13:27 on 24/02/11

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How can you suggest that we should expect our police force to spend some of their much-depleted strength trying to protect the beach huts? With Hove Police station itself actually being thereatened with closure now, don't you think they are stretched enough already? Beach huts are nice to have, if you have the money, and I'm afraid the owners have to take their chances. Nobody is making them own one, are they?

By JudgeJ2010 at 15:10 on 24/02/11
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Hello Hovian and JudgeJ2010, and thank you to @HovePeople on Twitter for highlighting this to me through my Twitter account.

From 1st April 2011 I will be working from Hove again as the dedicated seafront PCSO in Hove . The beach huts are one of the things I will be dealing with as part of this role. Having spoken to the Hove Neighbourhood Policing Team, they are already taking immediate action but you'll appreciate that I can't go into too much detail on that right now.

I am keen to start talking with the owners on the seafront as to how we (the owners, Sussex Police and Brighton & Hove City Council) can work together to improve the security of beach huts and to prevent any more breaks or fires happening, and I'd welcome your thoughts too. You can email me nick.packham@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call me through the 0845 60 70 999 number.

As is always the case, sometimes there are incidents that have to take a higher priority and on occasions we can't always be down on the promenade but the majority of our time is spent there. I know having lived opposite the seafront that there are regular night time police patrols, as well as patrols from the BHCC Seafront Officers during the day.

The other issue with the huts is that of maintenance. There are some that have been poorly maintained and almost neglected. Prior to my secondment to Brighton Police Station, as the PCSO for Westbourne Ward I conducted a survey of the beach huts from Hove Lagoon up to Hove Lawns and passed on the numbers of those I felt were vulnerable to Brighton and Hove City Council for the owners to be contacted. This will also continue on my return.

The beach huts are one of the things that make Hove seafront special and unique and they do need to be suitably maintained and protected, but as JudgeJ2010 has highlighted, we as an organisation are going through a period of uncertainty and change and we can't be everywhere all of the time.

Regards

PCSO Nick Packham
Brighton & Hove Neighbourhood Policing Team
nick.packham@sussex.pnn.police.uk
http://tinyurl.com/4dwk8da

By PCSO_Packham at 15:53 on 24/02/11
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Sounds like you're on the case Nick. Good for you to take the time to inform us about community issues on this site. Thank you.

By herbie15 at 18:28 on 24/02/11
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