By Federica Bedendo

Business owners in Brighton city centre claim they were forced to join the Sensible on Strength scheme launched by the council and Sussex Police at the end of last year.


The campaign encourages off-licence owners to stop selling strong beers and ciders.


A shop owner who preferred to stay anonymous fearing a reprisal from the council, said: “I would have never stopped selling strong beers and ciders, our business does exactly this, sell alcohol.


“We were forced to do it and our business has been affected by it.


“They told us that if we didn’t join the campaign we would be on the radar.


“We had an ethical policy anyway, strong beers and ciders were always kept under the counter and we wouldn’t sell more than two per person.”


Reducing anti-social behaviour is the main aim of the scheme, but according to shop owners, the real purpose is to drive the homeless away from the city centre.

The shop owner said: “Homeless people have never been a problem for us. I have a young girl working in this shop and she has never had a problem.

“Homeless people used to come in all the time, get what they wanted and walk out.


“They were always polite.”


Sam, another shop owner who prefers his shop not to be named, also said that joining the campaign was not voluntary.


He said: “Our business has been affected and I know others are struggling because of this scheme. This is not the right action.


“People are going to close down their businesses because they can’t afford to pay the rents anymore.


“Homeless people have stopped coming here, because they know we don’t sell strong beers and you do see less of them on the street.


“But it’s teenagers who cause more trouble, because they get pissed off so quickly when asked for ID.”


Birol Kaciran, manager of the shop Wine me Up, Western Road, is happy to have joined the campaign.


Mr Kaciran said: “The business has been affected but we see the positive side of the scheme.


He also points out his concern about people underage: “If you refuse to serve them, they cause trouble.”


Donna Lynsdale, fair trading officer at Brighton and Hove City Council said some traders had hesitated as they feared suffering financial loss by joining the Sensible on Strength scheme.


Since shop owners have joined the campaign, Ms Lyndsdale said they have reported attracting new customers who were not keen to go into their shops with street drinkers hanging around. 


Also they reported having fewer thefts and their staff say it is a nicer environment to work in.