Local Crime

02/05/2025

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There were a total of 27 arrests made across the district last week.

Three drivers were arrested in Uckfield, Hellingly and Arlington - one for being under the influence of alcohol, and two for drug driving.

We arrested 11 individuals for assault in Uckfield, Hailsham, Crowborough, Horam, Hartfield and Polegate.

There were also 3 arrests made for possession with intent to supply class A drugs in Stone Cross.

Public reports are crucial in helping us keep the streets safe - proven by the drug related offences last week, where significant intelligence came from the public.

Officers attended a car park in Stone Cross on the 24th, after receiving information that drug related offences were taking place in this location.

Upon arrival, officers noticed a distinctive smell and suspicious behaviour from the three men, who were stood by a van that matched the description given to us from the public.

After being detained and searched, a large quantity of cash as well as class A drugs were found and seized - resulting in the three males arrested and taken to custody.

A collaborative effort from both the public and our officers, resulting in the successful prevention of drug related offences in Wealden.

Your reports DO matter. Each report from the public, no matter how small it may seem, could play a crucial part in keeping our streets safe.

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Pit bike seized

Officers have seized yet another pit bike after a male had been riding it on a public road with no insurance.

Not only could this cause serious harm to other road users, but the use of these bikes that we've been seeing across the district is extremely anti-social and in this case - illegal.

Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act means we can also seize vehicles if driven carelessly, are unlicensed or for road tax offences.

With Operation Downsway now underway for 2025 - teams across the force will be providing a highly visible and unmarked presence on the roads across Sussex, engaging, educating, and taking enforcement action where necessary.

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Hailsham man jailed

A Hailsham man who stole from a vulnerable woman has been jailed for robbery.

Mark Stonestreet, 38, has been sentenced to 3 years and 9 months imprisonment following a hearing at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday, April 22. Stonestreet also received a 10-year restraining order, with conditions not to approach the victim, not to visit North Street in Hailsham and not to enter Asda in Hailsham. This restraining order will remain in effect for 10 years.

The sentencing follows an incident on Saturday, February 8 in Carriers Path, Hailsham, where Stonestreet targeted a 66-year-old woman who was using a disability walker. He snatched her wallet and cash directly out of her hand, fracturing her wrist. Following police enquiries, Stonestreet was subsequently arrested and remanded in custody.

This significant sentence acknowledges the fact that Stonestreet had targeted the same victim on previous occasions.

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Supporting businesses in Buxted!

The Buxted small business networking meeting was held on Wednesday 30th April, at the Pig and Butcher in Five Ash Down.

PCSO Choppin attended, along with a new trainee, PCSO Brook, as part of their community engagement duties.

We love having the chance to engage with different sides of the community, and are pleased to have offered support and reassurance to those in attendance!

Thank you for inviting us along!

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Stay safe this bank holiday.

Whilst the weather may be cooler over the weekend than we've seen throughout the week, we still want you to remain safe - whatever you're up to.

We will be out and about across the district as usual, so do say hi if you see us around!

Sussex Police are available 24/7, 365 days a week. If you need us, contact us!

Call 101 or online (https://orlo.uk/NKjKx) if non urgent.

Always call 999 in an emergency.

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Contact us

For non-emergency incidents or crime prevention advice, click  www.sussex.police.uk,  (If you report a crime online, we will assess it in the same way as a 101 call). 

Call 101 when you do not require an urgent response. In an emergency when life is threatened or there is immediate danger always call 999.  

Speak to us face-to-face at a police station or contact the local policing team at www.sussex.police.uk/area/your-area. 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can contact us using TypeTalk on 18000 or by sending a text to 65999.

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Arrests

A busy week for officers last week, making a total of 19 arrests across the district.

One individual was arrested for supplying class A drugs in Hailsham.

Four arrests were made for assault, one of which was of an emergency worker.

We arrested a driver in Five Ashes who was behind the wheel whilst over the limit for drugs.

Other offences included theft from a shop, burglary, and theft of a motor vehicle.

Patrols continue, as always, throughout Wealden to help protect and secure our communities.

Drug arrests across East Sussex

An investigation into the large-scale supply of illegal drugs led to a further 11 arrests across East Sussex last week.

Sussex Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) previously arrested 13 people suspected of distributing cocaine as part of Operation Bowtie.

And a week of intensification from Monday 24 to Friday 28 February – consisting of nine separate warrants – resulted in the further arrests, plus the seizure of significant quantities of cash, Class A drugs, stolen vehicles and weapons.

Here's the full story

East Sussex drugs warrants lead to 11 arrests | Sussex Police

Does this bike belong to you?

Officers attended the scene of a road traffic collision today in Magham Down.

A bike had collided into the back of a car, resulting in minor traffic delays and debris across the road.

Unfortunately, the rider of the bike made off on foot before we arrived at the scene. We suspect that this may have been due to not having insurance

The bike has since been recovered for forensic analysis, and the road was cleared swiftly to allow the flow of traffic to continue as normal.

East Sussex careers event

Officers of the future?

Today, officers attended a careers event in Eastbourne - joined by various schools across the Eastbourne and Wealden districts.

We love hearing about everyone's career goals and aspirations, and talking them through exactly how to get there.

There is something for everyone within policing, from Detective roles to Police Staff roles, and all with multiple entry routes.

Thanks to everyone who came along today!

Are you worried that a friend or family member is experiencing domestic abuse?

Clare's Law gives you a way to make enquiries about an individual who is in a relationship with someone you know and you are concerned their partner may have a history of domestic abuse.

Signs of domestic abuse usually include at least one of the following:

Emotional abuse

Isolation

Intimidation or threats

Economic abuse

Control

Physical abuse

Sexual abuse

You can make an application under Clare's Law if you are worried about a friend or relatives current or ex-partner. The police will carry out checks and will refer any information to a local multi-agency panel for a decision about whether to make a disclosure.

You can find out more here Clare's Law - Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) | Sussex Police

Contact us

For non-emergency incidents or crime prevention advice, click  www.sussex.police.uk,  (If you report a crime online, we will assess it in the same way as a 101 call). 

Call 101 when you do not require an urgent response. In an emergency when life is threatened or there is immediate danger always call 999.

Speak to us face-to-face at a police station or contact the local policing team at www.sussex.police.uk/area/your-area. 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can contact us using TypeTalk on 18000 or by sending a text to 65999.

Message Sent By

‍Ria Robertson
(Police, District Engagement Officer, Neighbourhood Policing Team)

14/02/25

Arrests

There were a total of 17 arrests made last week across the Wealden district.

We arrested 8 individuals for assault in Crowborough, Hailsham, Willingdon, Uckfield, Wadhurst and Polegate.

2 arrests were made for criminal damage in Wadhurst and Stone Cross.

1 driver was arrested for driving dangerously in Hailsham.

Other offences included drug driving and failure to appear at court.

See something we need to know? Please make sure you report it to us by phoning 101 or reporting online - we're on hand 24/7!

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Tackling and deterring anti-social behaviour 🚫

PC Upton and PC Dudley have been working closely with Tesco in Hailsham, following unacceptable and anti-social behaviour from youths.

With incidents typically occurring before and after school, officers have had to step in to assist Tesco in managing such behaviours. You may see us patrolling the area and the store to keep youth ASB to a minimum.

Anti-social behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated in our community. If you see or hear something we need to know about, please call us on 101 or report online here https://www.sussex.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

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Community Engagement

Keeping our communities safe and educated is always priority.

PCSO Jackson PCSO Choppin attended the women’s institute in Fairwarp, to discuss and educate the ladies on the types of scams.

Whilst there, they took the opportunity to include a VAWG (violence against women and girls) chat about keeping safe from harm, how to stay safe on a night out and spatial awareness - including when out walking /jogging and the use of ear pods.

There were 17 ladies in attendance, all of which asking lots of questions and were very thankful for our time and input!

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What 3 Words

Have you downloaded What 3 Words?

what3words has given every 3 metre square in the world a unique identifier made of 3 words - making the location of any emergency or non-emergency incident very easy to describe and share.

The app works offline, even in areas with no internet access,by using the device’s GPS signal.

Stay prepared and download the free what3words app so we know exactly where to provide assistance when it matters most.

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Contact us

For non-emergency incidents or crime prevention advice, click  www.sussex.police.uk,  (If you report a crime online, we will assess it in the same way as a 101 call). 

Call 101 when you do not require an urgent response. In an emergency when life is threatened or there is immediate danger always call 999.

Speak to us face-to-face at a police station or contact the local policing team at www.sussex.police.uk/area/your-area. 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can contact us using TypeTalk on 18000 or by sending a text to 65999.

Arrests

Officers made a total of 20 arrests last week for various offences.

5 were arrested for assault in Hartfield, East Hoathly, Hailsham, Polegate and Pevensey.

We arrested 3 individuals for criminal damage in Hailsham, Hellingly and Polegate.

A driver was arrested in Hailsham for drink-driving, and another in Crowborough for drug-driving.

Other offences included theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a knife, and possession with intent to supply a class A drug.

As always, we urge the public to continue reporting to us via any of the following channels:

101 or online in a non-emergency

999 in an emergency

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Remembrance 2024

At the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month – we stood together for our two-minute silence.

To reflect upon and honour the sacrifice made by our Armed Forces, and to commemorate those who have served both past and present to protect our freedom.

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

"Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

"We will remember them."

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Scouts engagement day!

On the 12th November, officers visited Bushywood Scout Camp to meet a group from the Willingdon Scouts!

PCSO Jackson and PCSO Greck spent the evening educating the youngsters on the dangers of vaping, smoking, alcohol & drugs.

We held a quiz, and asked the scouts to prepare a role play in their groups to demonstrate peer pressure and to perform these to the rest of the group.

It was great to see everyone joining in and having fun!

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Sceptre Week

Knife crime has a devastating impact on victims, loved ones and local communities.

We work closely with our partners and take proactive action to ensure knife crime remains low in Sussex and keep our communities safe from harm.

This week is Sceptre week, a national week of action to raise awareness of the dangers of carrying a knife by:

-Patrolling hotspot areas and disrupting any knife-related activity

-Working with our partners to educate and encourage young people to not carry knives.

-Provide reassurance and guidance to parents and guardians on starting the conversation of knife crime with children in their care.

-Sharing the locations of our knife amnesty bins (no questions asked).

Visit our website for more information on knife crime here http://spkl.io/6188fpkPG

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Contact us

For non-emergency incidents or crime prevention advice, click  www.sussex.police.uk,  (If you report a crime online, we will assess it in the same way as a 101 call). 

Call 101 when you do not require an urgent response. In an emergency when life is threatened or there is immediate danger always call 999.

Speak to us face-to-face at a police station or contact the local policing team at www.sussex.police.uk/area/your-area. 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can contact us using TypeTalk on 18000 or by sending a text to 65999.