The UK city that’s ‘like an asylum’ with human poo in streets and shoplifters running riot | UK | News

Brighton has been called a modern British success story, boasting a diverse, tolerant population and thriving shopping streets full of independent businesses.

Every year, there’s a guaranteed seasonal cash flow from tourists, and more and more people are choosing to call the city and its surroundings their permanent home, replacing the sea breeze with pollution in London’s big smog.

However, like every city, it has problem areas.

Life on seaside St James’s Street has been compared to a Charles Dickens novel; Because, according to the people who work here, the area is besieged by brazen thieves and drug dealers, thieves targeting tourists, shouting, violence and human excreta.

On arrival, The Express found two police community support officers outside the local Co-operative branch talking to a member of staff before crossing the road and crashing into Hunter Florist.

Back on the street, one of the officers said the area was a “hotspot” for bad behavior in Brighton and Sussex and so they were maintaining a “high visibility presence”.

It won’t be their business what kind of events they have to deal with.

The pair had just spoken to Neil and Frank Stribbling-Rushton, aged 56 and 66. Neil had owned the shop for ten years after moving from south-east London.

He said anti-social behavior had become normalised.

“There is quite a bit of physical violence, especially when stealing from the Co-op,” Neil said.

“We see that, and sometimes there are some real fights in the street between themselves; that spill over onto the road, and sometimes it’s like you’re watching a movie and it’s like no, actually it’s just daily life on this street.”

“The poor Co-op across the street from us is raided every day and sometimes what you actually see and the violence is quite horrific,” the owner added.

Local people still remember the “open fight” in 2024.

Frank said: “It was a Saturday afternoon in Brighton and people were eating al fresco and it was happening right in front of them.

“It was like gladiatorism.”

A man ran into the flower shop and asked if they could call an ambulance.

Neil thinks people steal not because they have children who need food, but because they “just feed themselves, they can’t be bothered to actually shop”, or because they resell more expensive items such as meat later to “get their next fix”.

The couple says “swarms” of people with substance abuse problems were being housed in nearby boarding houses and boarding houses, gathering in the street and “shooting at each other.”

Frank said: “For some reason the council seems to be putting them in one place which doesn’t make sense and it’s awful for local businesses and local people who obviously want to help people but it’s just ruining daily life isn’t it?”

He expressed frustration that the local police station was only a few streets away, but the behavior the couple saw every day was allowed to continue.

Frank added: “It’s as if civil society has collapsed because there is no law and order.”

“It would be great to have more police on the street because just the sight of it acts as a deterrent and it also helps other people feel safe,” said Neil’s husband.

“Well, even the police presence helps, but cars are going down the road at 20-something miles an hour and not stopping for anything.”

He added: “Usually you hear the seagulls, but that is now drowned out by them shouting at each other most days.

“It’s like being in a madhouse.

“They urinate and defecate next to that trash can in front of the children.”

And sure enough, across from the flower shop it said trash can, and next to that was a pile of what definitely looked like human poop at the time. Of course, you cannot reach a definitive conclusion without a DNA test.

Sam Morgan, 35, took over The Oak pub in March. He said: “I saw people smoking there in broad daylight.

“They’re not trying to hide it.”

He also told The Express there was “clearly human filth” outside the front door of the flat he shares with his girlfriend.

“I have two dogs, so I know,” Mr. Morgan added. “Pretty bad.”

The landlord occasionally has to tell troublesome people to leave his bar.

“I’m pretty liberal. I’m pretty forgiving,” he said. “But I’m also a business owner.”

The Brighton man later recalled an incident in which a man urinated outside and was clearly visible through the pub’s windows.

One member of staff exclaimed: “Oh my God, fuck this guy.”

Shopkeeper Karpesh Patel, 60, said: “This is a street full of alcohol.

“They know the police won’t do anything about it.”

He added: “It’s normal around him – you’ve got to be on the ball.

“Everyone will try to outdo you; you can’t take anyone for granted anymore.”

Mr Patel said fights were commonplace, especially at night.

He added: “We would feel safe if there were police on the streets, but there are never any.

“We must continue life as it is.

“There is no help for small shops and independents around here.

“It’s always been a bad street with a reputation but now it’s getting worse.”

Nickie Waters, 64, who is originally from London but has lived in Brighton for 40 years, has been working in Neil’s shop for three years.

He said: “Brighton has changed. Of course it’s very different from 30 years ago. It’s not safe to walk down this high street.”

“It’s a difficult situation for visitors; the problem has become normalized and you become a bit immune to it. It’s a terrible thing.”

Shop owner Gary, 64, said: “A lot of this is more of a social thing. People just need some bloody help and it’s not being given to them anymore.”

“But I think a lot of them are making it up. You find them screaming in the middle of the street, and it probably attracts some kind of attention to them that they wouldn’t normally get.”

“There are a lot of good people on the street who just want to get by, and a small minority are ruining it for other people.”

Another store owner said he stopped displaying as many items outside so they wouldn’t get stolen.

He showed The Express CCTV footage of several burglars but did not release the footage because he wanted to remain anonymous.

An employee inside the co-op said shoplifting was “not so bad anymore” and that undercover security deterred potential thieves.

He and other workers are advised to “stay away” and not pursue thieves.

Sometimes some people get very angry that the situation goes from “zero to 10” after being caught.

The man added that staff position themselves like a “police operation” around the store when they know someone is buying high-value items, with the manager at the entrance being the “end point”.

Another business owner, James, 55, said: “One thing is true: It’s consistent. I’ve been here 20 years and it’s the same.”

He added that it was just part of the nature of the area.

“It ebbs and flows… It seems to depend on whether the ringleader types are hanging around or not,” James said. “This is something I could do without.”

“There must be a better way to earn a living,” Neil said. “It would probably be easier to be a drug dealer.”

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “St James’s Street remains a priority for the Neighborhood Policing Team in Brighton. We are committed to making the city safer for residents, businesses and visitors. Working with partner organizations and the local community, we will continue to reduce harm and deliver meaningful change across the area. As St James’s Street has been identified as a Hot Spot location, enhanced policing activities are in place.

“This includes increasing police visibility through regular patrols and intelligence-guided actions to prevent crime, combat anti-social behavior and violence, protect the public and reassure the public. A recent outcome from the area includes the imminent sentencing of Aji Sinera, 30, on February 13. This follows the robbery of a defenseless man on St James’s Street in October 2025. Sinera is currently being held in custody before his sentencing.”

“It is important not to underestimate the vital role the public plays in helping us keep the area safe. Reports of crime, suspicious behavior and ongoing concerns enable officers on the ground to respond effectively and take positive action. We encourage anyone with concerns to report them online or by calling 101. In an emergency, always call 999.”

Brighton and Hove City Council declined to comment.