Sussex Alerts - Lewes and Seahaven Police

Thursday 16th April 2026

Sussex Alerts - Lewes and Seahaven Police

Dear Residents,

Please find below the latest Sussex Alerts from Lewes and Seahaven Police.

Operation Downsway Peacehaven results

Following recent collisions and in response to community concerns raised about dangerous driving and excessive speeding, officers from your #Lewes Neighbourhood Policing Team undertook vehicle stop checks across the coast earlier this week.

During our overt operation, drivers who were witnessed by officers using mobile phones or other distractions at the wheel were safety stopped, and directed away from the main road where drivers were either educated about their driving or issued traffic offence reports (TORs) where offences were identified.

More than 15 traffic offence reports (TORs) were issued, including those to drivers using their mobile phones and not wearing seatbelts. Officers also issued a number of warnings and provided strong words of advice relating to defective lights and insecure dogs.

As part of Operation Downsway, which launched in April in East Sussex and will run through the Summer months (in addition to regular checks 365 days of the year) residents can expect to see an increased police presence on the roads of Sussex.

The aim of the operation is to help:

• Raise awareness of the fatal 5 driving offences

• Help reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on the roads of East Sussex

• Reduce the number of reported incidents of anti-social driving

• Increase public confidence in local policing through increased visibility and patrols

• Target those individuals who are prepared to drive on the roads in an anti-social or irresponsible manner

We encourage members of the public to report dangerous driving or traffic offences at the time, or when it is safe to do so, reports can be made online or by calling 101, or by calling 999 in an emergency or road traffic collision.

High-visibility patrols in Newhaven

Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team carried out high-visibility patrols in Newhaven yesterday, following reports of anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

A Section 34 is now in place across the town centre and surrounding business parks. This gives officers the power to direct those involved in anti-social behaviour to leave the area and not return.

During the operation, several stop searches were conducted, resulting in positive finds for drugs possession, and multiple arrests were made, including for ABH and breach of a dispersal order.

The Section 34 remained in place until 11pm on the 14rf April.

We will continue to patrol the area and take action where necessary to keep our communities safe.

If you are a local business, please continue reporting incidents to us and speak to your local officer about joining the Eastbourne and Lewes DISC scheme to help share information and prevent crime.

Members of the public and businesses are encouraged to report incidents online or by calling 101. 

In an emergency, always call 999.

Out and about this week

Already this week, your Lewes Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT) have been out and about across the coast, spending a number of hours on patrol and speaking with as many residents as possible about local concerns, including anti-social behaviour (ASB).

Officers have also been visiting local businesses to obtain updates on recent crime, offer reassurance, and conduct enquiries as part of our ongoing work to deter crime and identify offenders.

Elsewhere in Seaford, teams have been engaging directly with communities on local issues and priorities, including carrying out vehicle speed checks in response to concerns raised during patrols.

Your NPT is here to keep communities safe and informed, offer advice and support, and work alongside local businesses and volunteering groups.

Find out more about your local teams online here, by entering your postcode to access the ‘your area’ section of our Sussex Police website.

Positive results from weekend test purchases

Supported by Police Cadets and their leaders, The Licensing Team visited a number of shops last weekend to carry out an alcohol 'test purchase' operation.

Test purchases are fully supervised checks in which volunteer cadets under the age of 18 attempt to buy age‑restricted products, while police officers and cadet leaders monitor the actions of retailers to ensure they comply with the law.

Checks are not designed to catch businesses out, but to ensure age‑restricted items are not sold to anyone under 18, with the aim of protecting young people, supporting compliance with licensing conditions, and promoting responsible retailing.

Shops were visited across areas of Lewes, Newhaven, Seaford and Uckfield, with all retailers complying with the law and their responsibility not to sell alcohol to under 18s, in every case, staff acted appropriately, refusing sales and correctly applying age verification measures such as Challenge 25.

The Licensing Team would like to thank the cadets, their leaders, officers, and local businesses for their co-operation in helping to keep young people safe.

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 have a hearing or speech impairment, or other forms of communication difficulties.

Those with textphone can text 18001 101, or BSL users can use SignVideo to provide a Video Relay Service (here: https://signvideo.co.uk/), to report crime through a live online interpreter, who will contact the police on your behalf, when you do not require an urgent response.

In an emergency when life is threatened or there is immediate danger please use the textphone service 18000 or text us on 999.

BSL users can call 999 BSL (here: https://999bsl.co.uk/)  to use a British Sign Language interpreter.

For more information on textphone and Relay UK, including help setting up the Relay APP please visit: https://www.relayuk.bt.com/how-to-use-relay-uk/contact-999-using-relay-uk.html