Brighton's Pool Passage sex alley gates to be built

Pool Passage, in Brighton, has become a hotspot for sexual activity, drug taking and people defecating late at night.

People living along the alleyway have been fighting back and requested Brighton and Hove City Council install lockable gates at each end – though were refused.

But after a campaign by The Argus and now the support of city councillors – with Alex Phillips and Tom Druitt pledging £1,500 toward costs – a gate at one end of the “alleyway from hell” is set to become a reality.

Hughie and Chris O’Neill, whose home backs on to the passage, have been quoted £2,082.60 for one gate, though they are awaiting the city council’s decision on September 16.

The council will decide whether a gate can be place at one end of Pool Passage later this month (Image: The Argus)

“If Tom and Alex hadn’t have offered it, we probably wouldn’t have been able to do it,” said Hughie.

“This has been going on for two years and it could finally be coming to an end.

“Councillors have definitely been helping by telling people just how important it is, because it is definitely getting worse.

“Many councillors have been so supportive, but some haven’t even bothered replying.

“If all of them had supported it from the start then we could have avoided so many problems.”

Councillors Druitt and Philips are using £750 from each of their ward budgets.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

Each councillor has a community budget of £1,000, allocated in each financial year, to spend on ward priorities for improving the social, environmental and economic well-being of their constituency.

Cllr Phillips said: “We are sorry that it has come to installing a gate at Pool Passage, but it is unfortunately necessary.

“We very much look forward to it being approved by committee next week, and swiftly installed.

"We have contributed £1,500 to it from our ward budget because we thought it would have a considerable impact on, and improve the quality of, residents’ lives.”

MP for Brighton Pavilion Caroline Lucas also joined the fight for a gate.

"It is urgently needed, and it’s clear that residents want it," she said. 

"I’m hopeful that the council will support ward councillors’ and residents’ calls for the gate, to help ensure that these incidents don’t happen again.”

Hughie installed CCTV cameras overlooking the alley when problems became severe.

Extraordinary footage from the past few months shows people urinating, pooing, having sex, and taking drugs in Pool Passage.

Most recently Hughie, 72, was injured after confronting a man for urinating in the alley.

“He told me he was going to beat the s*** out of me," Hughie said.

“I had to get a speaker out there to tell people they’re being recorded.

"But these lot just put their fingers up to the camera.”

The council will decide whether to grant permission for the gate in the coming weeks.

A city council spokesman previously said: “We are extremely aware of the strength of public feeling locally for action to be taken to reduce anti-social behaviour in Pool Passage.

“This is why a proposal to introduce a public space protection order that would see one end of Pool Passage being gated will be considered by our Tourism, Equalities, Communities and Culture Committee on September 15.”