Man Taken to Hospital After Assault in Brighton Car Park

A man required hospital treatment after being assaulted in the car park of a council block of flats in Brighton.

The incident happened on Friday 4 July at Hampshire Court, Veronica Way, in Kemp Town. It followed concerns raised by tenants about rough sleepers in the car park.

Tenant representatives say the attack has left residents feeling unsafe and are questioning why those involved were not moved on sooner.

They plan to raise the matter with Brighton and Hove City Council at a housing management panel meeting on Tuesday 16 September.

In a written question submitted ahead of the meeting, they asked:

“Why was action not taken and the rough sleepers moved on as soon as residents raised concerns?

"This lack of action left residents feeling unsafe in their homes and at risk of violence.

"Why were the perpetrators of the violent attack not moved on after it had happened?”

Council Response

Graham Davis, the council’s housing manager, said he was sorry to hear that people felt unsafe and anxious after the incident, particularly as concerns had been raised beforehand.

He explained that while rough sleepers had been found in the laundry room, no one was identified in the car park at the time of an inspection.

It is believed some gained access by tailgating under the shutters.

Mr Davis said:

“We recognise that the response may not have felt timely or sufficient and we want to ensure that concerns raised by residents are acted upon more visibly in future.

"Safety is our priority and we are committed to learning from this incident to improve how we respond going forward.”