Sussex Alerts - Eastbourne Police

Friday 19th September 2025

Sussex Alerts - Eastbourne Police

National Spiking Awareness Week

Spiking is a serious crime with serious consequences.

This week we’re raising awareness of not only the consequences victims may face, but also highlighting the serious consequences perpetrators can also face.

Not only does spiking cause victims to experience severe symptoms, it can also leave them vulnerable to other crimes such as sexual assault and rape.

The week of intensification is a chance to put a spotlight on the issue, raise awareness of and for Police to work with partners to help prevent spiking incidents happening.

This includes visits to nighttime venues across East Sussex from our licensing team officers, alongside new in-house literature and posters being made available for both staff and venue go-oers to learn of the symptoms and where further support can be found.

Would you know the signs to spot in a potential spiking?

Signs of spiking in drinks:

Not all drinks change when spiked, but there are some signs that your DRINK may have been spiked and they might be:

Possible indicators for spiking through vapes:

Symptoms of spiking can include dizziness, confusion, vomiting, fatigue, memory loss and, for spiked vapes, shortness of breath and coughing.

Knowing the signs could help save a life, act quick and tell venue staff, secuirty or the police if you think you or someone you're with may have been spiked.

London man sentenced to five years for supplying drugs in Eastbourne

Shevane Collins, 32, from Lewisham, has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of running a County Lines network supplying crack cocaine and heroin into Eastbourne.

Our investigation linked Collins to drug activity between September 2020 and January 2021. He was arrested twice, with officers seizing more than £3,000 in cash.

He was charged in April 2022 and denied the offences, but a jury found him guilty of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, as well as possession of crack cocaine.

DC David Brown said: "Collins’ offending is a clear example of how County Lines operations exploit communities by flooding them with dangerous Class A drugs. We remain committed to disrupting this activity and holding offenders to account."

Collins will now serve a five-year prison sentence.

More on the case can be found here.

Out and about this week

Last night, your PCSO for Roselands and Bridgemere popped along to the Eastbourne Phab Club, held at the Archery Youth Centre (Archery Rec), along Seaside Road.

PHAB Eastbourne is one of over 140 PHAB clubs run across the Country as a place for those with, or without disabilities; be they children, teens or adults to come together for all kinds of activities and events to socialise, have fun and build friendships.

The PHAB Eastbourne Club meets every Wednesday from 7pm until 9pm, with activities including darts, pool, table football, an air hockey table, discos, as well as raffle, food nights and arts & crafts.

A huge thank you to everyone who was there on the night for having us along to enjoy the evening with you, and also an extended thanks to the Eastbourne PHAB Club volunteers too for inviting us along to your evening, we had a great evening.

Patrols this week

As we head into the weekend, the safety and welfare of our local communities remains a top priority.

Already this week a number of patrols have taken place across the district; not just in town areas, but across our parks and open spaces, with Officers keeping an eye out for any suspicious activities, checking in on local businesses, and monitoring hot-spot areas of anti-social behaviour (ASB) to help keep everyone safe.

These patrols; aimed at offering reassurance and a police presence in your town, as well as looking to identify those involved in both ASB and criminality will continue into the weekend - if you see or hear anything you think we need to know about, please report it to us at the time.

101/online all non-emergency reporting and support.

999 in an emergency.

Upcoming events

Friday 19th September 19:00-20:30 at our Eastbourne Police POD, evening of awareness and support during Op Lester week (anti-spiking and VAWG awareness), advice, support and take away tools to help keep women and girls safe on a night out, including silicone bottle top protectors.

CANCELLED *** THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED - Saturday 20th September, from 10:00-14:00, outside the Beacon Shopping Centre/Eastbourne Police POD, meet your ‘HotSpot Policing Team’ Engagement Day *** CANCELLED

More events will be added to our Facebook Page, as well as the ‘your area’ section of the Sussex Police website here, where residents can see the latest events, news, and updates for their specific ward by entering their postcode.

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 please visit: https://www.relayuk.bt.com/how-to-use-relay-uk/contact-999-using-relay-uk.html.