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Church 'decimated' by squatters
10:53am Sunday 27th May 2007
Comments (16)A church has been "decimated" by squatters.
Police raided Ebenezer Baptist Church in Brighton following reports that a man living in the squat was dealing drugs to children.
When officers arrived at 8.30am they found 18 homeless people living in the chapel, sleeping in the baptism pit and drinking Sherry and Special Brew.
One man attempted to hide an eight inch hunting knife down the back of a sofa.
Police said within two weeks the squatters had destroyed the small, disused church in Richmond Parade.
Its vicar Tony Bickley had previously allowed a homeless couple to sleep there but things had got "out of hand", officers said.
Mr Bickley is currently in France and was unavailable for comment.
One neighbour, who didn't want to be named, said: "I knew that squatters had broken in and have heard they may have been involved in drugs.
"It's been going on over the last month or so but its not the first time it has happened."
The chapel is owned by the Grace Baptist Church who have recently applied for permission to knock it down and replace it with 49 flats, a new church and community hall.
Neighbours said squatters had also been seen at a former glassworks in nearby Sussex Place, due to be replaced by a five storey block of flats with 50 homes.
Police said they had received reports of antisocial behaviour, including fights and drug-taking at the church.
Inspector Laurence Taylor said: "We were in there two weeks ago and it was fine. In two weeks they have destroyed it.
"The original people living there had the permission of the vicar but its all gotten out of hand since then.
"It was an orderly little church with pews and a font. Now its been completely decimated.
"They were using the baptism pit for one of their beds. They were having a massive impact on the community."
The church spent £1,000 on Friday boarding up the church, its grounds now covered in litter.
But police said that after it had been boarded up people had again been seen sneaking back inside through an open window.
Insp Taylor said after the raid: "Some of them were drinking Sherry at 8.30 in the morning and there was evidence that drugs had been taken.
"One of the men was drinking Special Brew at the time.
"A man was arrested for a Public Order offence outside after he became extremely abusive and aggressive."
Neighbour Gabriel Cabeza said: "I've seen loads of people in there over the last few weeks. They've been playing on the balcony but they haven't been noisy."
The original Ebenezer Chapel was a Renaissance-style building opened in 1825 but it was knocked down in 1966 and rebuilt.
It has not been used in recent years because of the major repair works that are needed.
The application to replace it with a six storey building will be discussed by Brighton and Hove City Council before June 26.
Do you live in the area and have been affected by the squatters? Leave your comments below.
Your Say YourThe Argus
John, Brunswick says...
2:51pm Sun 27 May 07
1. 'Decimated' means to remove one tenth of, or more loosely to reduce the numbers. A building can't be 'decimated' even in the loose sense.
2. Only an Anglican church has a vicar. This is said to be Baptist.
3. Insp Taylor: " its all gotten out of hand since then". Is he american then?
For goodness' sake argus, get some journalists who can do research and write English.
bp, Brighton says...
3:16pm Sun 27 May 07
Jason, Brighton says...
12:58am Mon 28 May 07
what a surprise.
art, hove says...
12:14pm Mon 28 May 07
Avrageman, next door to the church says...
9:38pm Thu 31 May 07
Don't they get the message, we are p****d off with their mindless anti-social behaviour and it's time the police were allowed to deal with them in what ever way they choose in order to stop them repeatedly committing their mindless criminal acts time after time knowing they can get away with it. Withdraw the social benefits that attracts them to Brighton in the first place and they might just go away with a bit of luck. THEY ARE PARASITES AND WE ARE THEIR HOST.
Christian, Brighton says...
12:13pm Fri 1 Jun 07
ANd the squatters had permission from the Vicar to be there until the end of August, they were told they could remove the Pews as the Vicar wanted to sell them as the place was being knocked down.
Poor reporting from the Argus, but also absolute miscarige of justice by the police.
chaz, nottingham says...
12:15pm Fri 1 Jun 07
A, Brighton says...
12:39pm Fri 1 Jun 07
Liam kropp, sussex says...
3:19pm Fri 1 Jun 07
Phil Eades, brighton says...
4:46pm Fri 1 Jun 07
Che, Brighton says...
9:54pm Fri 1 Jun 07
The council should be doing everything it can to help home these people, and whats with the over mentioning of special brew, is this a product placment??
Paddy Nimby, B right on says...
8:06pm Sat 2 Jun 07
A wrote:That seems entirely reasonable but is it nuff said? It's clear that this may have been an eye sore but should this over ride the need for housing? An intoxicated mum is never a good sight but is their eviction gonna help that situation? Possibly this kid (and its mum) will have nowhere to stay now? No one really wants this in their vicinity but it's there, like it or not, in every town in the land. Should Brighton residents have license to have it displaced any more than anyone else? Towns are where jobs tend to be in greater abundance surely?
The squatters had a huge impact on the area, 24 hours a day -there was drumming, shouting and screaming from the occupants, who often brought their arguments and disputes into the street. Admittedly, no squat parties, thank goodness. The most worrying thing I saw was when the police (finally) took action: a young mother, seemingly drunk/drugged to her eyeballs, stumbling away from the squat with her toddler in a pram - in the early afternoon. She could barely stand up: \'nuff said?
Avrageman, next to the church says...
9:30pm Sun 3 Jun 07
Liam kropp, robertsbridge says...
3:36pm Wed 6 Jun 07
Phil Eades wrote:Yes i believe camps are a wise option. These people if thats what you call them cant get a job then they must be unemployable thus making them unfit for society. round them up is what i say and force them to work!
So Mr Kropp, you think that anyone who doesn\'t have a job for whatever reason (like maybe they can\'t get one) should be forced to live on the streets. That will certainly help them get a job. Maybe we should just put them in camps and give them a shower.
Brian, Brighton says...
7:17pm Tue 17 Jul 07
Paddy Nimby wrote:Incase you missed the point the re-development of the site is intended to provide over 50% of the new homes for affordable housing for people in 'housing need'. That is they are provided at a price below market cost thanks to subsidy from Central Government (the tax payer) and further subsidised with investment from a not for profit social landlord (basically a charity). Thus whilst these people squatting and desecrating the Church may be displaced, those Brighton & Hove residents who truly are in desperate housing need would be helped by this action.
A wrote: The squatters had a huge impact on the area, 24 hours a day -there was drumming, shouting and screaming from the occupants, who often brought their arguments and disputes into the street. Admittedly, no squat parties, thank goodness. The most worrying thing I saw was when the police (finally) took action: a young mother, seemingly drunk/drugged to her eyeballs, stumbling away from the squat with her toddler in a pram - in the early afternoon. She could barely stand up: \\\'nuff said?That seems entirely reasonable but is it nuff said? It\'s clear that this may have been an eye sore but should this over ride the need for housing? An intoxicated mum is never a good sight but is their eviction gonna help that situation? Possibly this kid (and its mum) will have nowhere to stay now? No one really wants this in their vicinity but it\'s there, like it or not, in every town in the land. Should Brighton residents have license to have it displaced any more than anyone else? Towns are where jobs tend to be in greater abundance surely?
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dg, says...
2:18pm Sun 27 May 07
No mention of what kind of drugs.
Special Brew is not illegal.
Sounds like they were peaceful neighbours
I assume the 6 story buiding that will replace this church will soon fill up with high income class A users and no-one will give a ****.
Hypocrits!