The most violent streets in Sussex are seeing an escalation of yob culture with attacks more than doubling in a year.

Four streets in Brighton feature in a league of 13 locations with record levels of mugging, assaults and other violence.

A total of 911 violent crimes were recorded by Sussex Police in the 12 months to January 31 - up 27 per cent on the year before and more than double the number two years ago.

The thug hotspot of Sussex for the third year running was West Street in Brighton's nightclub district, where violent crimes have more than doubled from 70 in 2004 to 143 last year.

The figures will undermine the Government's reputation on violent crime, already weakened by controversy over falling police numbers across the UK.

Police said the increase was linked to people drinking irresponsibly in the city centre.

Over the past year The Argus has reported how residents across Sussex have complained of drink-fuelled thugs gathering in groups up to 40-strong to cause trouble.

Police closed The Standard in West Street for 24 hours in January after a major fight broke out and extra licensing requirements have now been slapped on the pub.

A teenager who was punched in the face by a stranger while walking up West Street said he was not surprised by the statistics.

The A level student, who wished to be known only as Joss, 18, from Buxted, was attacked by a gang of four people earlier this year. His friend's jaw was fractured in the assault.

Joss said: "I definitely think it's because there are so many places for people to drink in and they're all in one area. When people come out bad things are going to happen."

But police said the rise could partly be explained by "zero tolerance" policies like the Enough is Enough campaign on alcohol fuelled crime since the new licensing laws came into effect. It means more minor crimes are being dealt with and therefore recorded.

A breakdown of the statistics showed that the rise was mainly due to higher numbers of "non-serious" violent crime. This category ranges from shouting and swearing to minor assaults like pushing and shoving.

Since the legislation came into force last November, serious violent crime ranging from GBH to mobile phone robbery in Central Brighton has fallen 5.4 per cent while non-serious violent crime has shot up 79.5 per cent.

Brighton and Hove City Commander Chief Supt Jeremy Paine said: "I am convinced the common factor between people engaging in violence towards other people or property is alcohol. Increased police patrols and on-the-spot fines have seen lower-level crime being dealt with."

Jeane Lepper, head of Brighton and Hove City Council's licensing committee, said: "We get a few drunken spats down here but we don't get the kind of ugly knife fights you see in other cities."

Attacks in Sussex's most violent locations 1/2/05 to 31/1/06 South Terminal, Gatwick - 218
West Street, Brighton - 143
North Terminal, Gatwick - 141
Kings Road, Brighton - 53
High Street, Crawley - 46
Terminus Road, Eastbourne - 44
Marine Parade, Worthing - 43
Chapel Road, Worthing - 40
Madeira Drive, Brighton - 39
North Street, Brighton - 38
Robertson Street, Hastings - 37
The Pier, Grand Parad, Eastbourne - 34
Total - 911