MORE antisocial behaviour has hit a town plagued with crime as police prepare to put new measures in place to crack down on the problem.

Since the police station closed in Peacehaven in September last year, there has been an increase in antisocial behaviour (ASB), leading to widespread fear and uncertainty among residents and business owners, who blame a lack of police presence.

On Monday, a man was kept awake by three male youths throwing rocks at cars driving along South Coast Road.

The man, who did not want to be named, said he made three 999 calls to police but no officers turned up. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and said the incident has exaggerated his condition.

He said: “They were throwing roof tiles and rocks while smoking on top of the Philip Mann estate agent building. The noises when they hit the cars was horrendous.

“When there were no cars in the road, they would go down and get their tiles and rocks to go up and start throwing again. I couldn’t believe it – it was like something out of a noir film.

“I stay awake wondering when the next bang is going to happen. It’s so scary.”

The man said the thugs were aged between 15 and 25.

In July, The Argus reported how 227 acts of ASB were recorded in East Peacehaven and West and North Peacehaven from January to June 2017, compared to 145 incidents of ASB in the first six months of last year.

Sussex Police say they are installing two cameras on lampposts in town hotspots to reduce crime. They are also working on funding for community wardens to patrol the streets.

The resident also said he is “extremely happy” with Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle’s attitude towards restoring safety in Peacehaven.

A Peacehaven Town Council spokesman said: “It is clear that there are financial pressures being placed on Sussex Police and this seems to have resulted in a decrease in available front line police officers.

“The council, with help from Sussex Police, are also exploring the possibility of employing community wardens. It is hoped that community wardens may help to deal with antisocial behaviour.”

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “At 1.26am on Monday we received a report that youths were throwing objects at cars driving along South Coast Road, Peacehaven. The report was allocated for prompt response, ie within an hour if possible, but units were not able to attend until 2.50am due to the numbers of other incidents in the general area also requiring emergency response during the same period.

“When units searched the area nothing was found and the caller was not seen in the vicinity. We received no other calls on this subject, and we have received no reports of damage or injury.

“All emergency calls are promptly assessed on an individual basis and we always aim to provide an appropriate response. However it is not always possible to attend incidents in the timescale that callers would wish.

“Local police resources continue to be allocated to Peacehaven, working closely with the community, town council, and other partners to address any problems. Recently we have made a number of arrests and we will continue this targeted approach to address issues in the area.”