EXCLUSIVE The surprising seaside tourist destination that has been blighted by crime with robberies, pickpockets and shoplifting rife on its iconic shopping streets
Brighton's Regency neighbourhood, so-called as it is at the heart of the Regency city's old quarter, saw 2,436 crimes for every 1,000 residents last year.
This is the worst crime rate for any big city neighbourhood in England outside of London or Birmingham, according to a new analysis of police data.
The neighbourhood comprises the seafront and beach including the famous Brighton Palace Pier, the i360 observation tower and the tiny shopping streets and alleys known as The Lanes.
There are dozens of bars, pubs, fast food and sit-down restaurants, kebabs shops, stores selling candy rock and seaside trinkets and it is a hotspot for revellers at the weekend.
It is also home to the five-star Grand and four-star Metropole Hotels on the Regency seafront.
But the community is also struggling to cope with a large homeless and transient population, many of whom suffer from mental health and addiction problems.
Robberies, pickpockets and especially shoplifting is rife and the area after dark has been described as 'lawless.'
Regency is a Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA), a term used to describe zones of 1,000 to 3,000 people created for administrative purposes.
In order to compare urban crime rates, MailOnline obtained data for all LSOAs in English cities with a population of over 250,000 and ranked them by the number of crimes (ranging from petty offences to murder) per 1,000 people.
Part of London's West End known for pickpockets and robberies had the highest crime rate last year of 16,348 per 1,000 residents, followed by two other areas in Westminster and then Ladywood in Birmingham (5,777 per 1,000).
According to business leaders who ply their trade in Brighton's Regency neighbourhood, beggars, drug addicts and drunks gather in the area attracted by the rich pickings from tourists and visitors.
Sam Farah, who runs Sparkling Newsagents, said: 'Especially at night and it becomes lawless. In my store they target the alcohol specifically. They walk in and just take it.
'Police have told us not to confront them so they know they can just get away with it so they do it repeatedly.
'This is especially typical in the 14-17 year age range where they know nothing can be done.
'Often they target a particular type of alcohol like champagne which has a high value but sometimes it's just things like Buzzball cocktails - which are all trending on TikTok at the moment.
'Some people can get quite violent if you confront them. We have CCTV all over the place but they do it anyway. There is no deterrent anymore.'
MailOnline obtained data for all LSOAs in English cities with a population of over 250,000 and ranked them by the number of crimes per 1,000 people. This map shows the most crime-ridden LSOA in each city. No data available for Manchester
On East Street, the famous Quadrophenia Alley - which featured in 1979 film Quadrophenia - has been renamed Smack Alley on account of the drug dealing that occurs there.
Retailer Nick Wright said: 'There needs to be more deterrent. We hardly ever see a police officer down here.
'Police officers are too busy taking up their time with tick box crimes, filling in paperwork at the station and not spending enough time stopping crime from happening in the first place.'
He called for a change in culture and said the high crime rate in Regency was no surprise to most of the traders that worked there.
Another businessman said: 'We've been told that any thefts below £220 are victimless crimes and the CPS won't prosecute so there is no point in officers making arrests.
'As a result these criminals just go around as if they own the place, stealing stuff and selling it on to fund their drug and drink habits.
'It's organised crime - one person will steal an expensive, desirable jacket and if we give chase they'll pass it to another runner down the road who sprints off in a different direction.
'The police won't come so we're left having to claim on our insurance and our premiums go up and up. It's a dreadful situation.'
Brighton is famous for its large number of independent shops and many of these are found in The Lanes, which is known for its jewellery stores and boutiques, and North Laine, which is just outside the Regency neighbourhood.
One business owner, who has spent 45 years working in The Lanes, said: 'You never see a police officer. Fifteen years ago there was a visible deterrent around here but it's got worse and worse.
'The homeless, transient and traveller population has got much worse. We find human waste on our porch all the time, guys lying all over the pavement out of their heads. It's not good.
'As far as I can see the police do very little these days around here. They react to big crimes but the little crimes are ignored.'
Down on the seafront there are a host of traditional boutique and small shops which say they are being menaced by shoplifters.
Linda Car, who works with her daughter, Tina Davies, on the seafront said: 'It's scary sometimes how unprotected businesses are here. You would imagine the police would help but these days they simply don't.'
Simon Sykes, 58, who has run All At Sea Shells for 20 years, said: 'We never see a police officer down here and it's a miracle if you can get one to come down following a genuine crime.
'Teenagers and youths are a big problem here. They work together to steal things from stores, often distracting owners while others pilfer your goods.'
The former Royal Navy serviceman said: 'I've had kids pick up entire boxes of shells and run onto the beach and throw them into the sea while someone else films it for TikTok. It's crazy.'
He said there were a lot of exchange and language students who behave 'appallingly' once they hit the seafront.
'There's no comeuppance for them because they are foreign and the police won't touch them, so they shoplift all sorts of things. I always watch out for them.'
Ailynn Cruz, who runs Hoarder & Maker, said: 'They steal my stock and if I challenge them they get violent.
'I wish we had more police down here. It doesn't feel safe sometimes and we have to take measures to protect ourselves although we do have a good community of shopkeepers down here and we all look out for each other.'
On North Street, on the outside edge of Regency, Greggs has suffered a particular blight of shoplifting with people walking in, picking up baguettes, cakes, crisps and drinks and then flagrantly walking off.
In one day the store has seen up to a dozen such incidents with staff instructed to turn a blind eye.
One resident, who did not want to be named, said: 'Until the council and the police do something to solve the horrendous homeless problem here then some parts of Brighton will continue to be blighted by scenes more akin to rough parts of San Francisco and LA.
'It's such a shame. Brighton is the queen of the Victorian seaside resorts but she's had her crown knocked off and is looking decidedly down at heel in recent years.'
Councillor Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said: 'We have been working hard to tackle anti-social behaviour and levels of crime in this area of our city. We know all too well the impact that anti-social behaviour has on communities and safety.
'We have received feedback from residents telling us that the work we have been doing alongside Sussex Police and other stakeholders has made a noticeable difference and is having a significant impact and we are determined to keep going until everyone can feel the benefit.
'We will continue to respond to the concerns of local residents and do all we can to continue the positive work already underway.'
Chief Inspector Simon Marchant, from Sussex Police's Brighton Command Team, said: 'We're fully aware of the concerns around anti-social behaviour and drug activity in the Regency area and our teams have been working tirelessly to tackle the issues head-on. Through increased high-visibility patrols, targeted enforcement, and close partnership with local stakeholders, we've made a real impact.
'We've also had real success in targeting county drugs lines operating in the area, resulting in multiple arrests, significant drug seizures and custodial sentences for key offenders.
'Residents have told us they've seen clear improvements in areas like Norfolk and Regency Square, and we're continuing to build on that progress with arrests, community protection orders, and daily hotspot patrols. We're also improving how we communicate, with more frequent updates and monthly ward-specific briefings, so communities stay informed and engaged in the work we're doing to keep their neighbourhoods safe.
'Please report any crimes or concerns online, via 101 or by calling 999 in an emergency.'
West Midlands Police said: 'Over the last two years, crime has continued to fall in our communities since we introduced our new local operating model to bring a better spread of officers, detectives and specialist staff across the force delivering an improved service.
'Total crime across the West Midlands dropped by a further 18,000 offences (nearly 6%) over the last year alone. Compared with two years ago we have recorded 53,000 fewer crimes.
'There have been 3,000 fewer victims of domestic abuse, 1,500 fewer robberies and 2,500 fewer burglaries compared to last year. Knifepoint robberies have fallen by 24% in the last year.'
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