Man accused of licking items on Brighton shop shelves appears in court

Police in Sussex saw an increase in reports of anti-social behaviour connected to coronavirus and issued more than 100 fines over the Easter weekend (April, 10-12). The vast majority of residents followed guidelines but there were a few instances of essential workers being threatened, according to officers. Police said this included a 42-year-old man who appeared in court yesterday (Monday, 13), accused of licking products in a shop in Lewes Road, Brighton, and putting them back on the shelf, at around 9pm on Saturday (April, 11). Simon Plante, of Oriental Place, Brighton was charged with multiple offences, including using threatening, abusive or insulting words to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Police also said a group of people were reportedly gathering and drinking in Seaside Recreation Ground in Eastbourne, at around 6pm on Sunday (April,12). A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and being drunk and disorderly. Over half of the fines between Friday and Sunday were issued in Brighton, but a significant proportion were people travelling from outside the county on day trips. Officers said four fines were issued to people in breach of Covid-19 restrictions in Camber, including one couple who traveled the 150-mile round trip from St Albans to walk on the beach. Three men claiming to be plain clothed police officers were also reportedly walking around the Ditchling Road area in Brighton on Saturday, collecting on-the-spot fines for breaches of coronavirus guidance. Police said they would not demand money for FPNs to be paid instantly. Sussex Police Chief Constable Giles York said: "Once again, I'm so thankful for the amazing community spirit across Sussex. "Local people are listening and doing the right thing by staying home, protecting the NHS and saving lives. "Police officers and PCSOs out and about across the county report people, for the most part, complying with the guidance and engaging with them positively, showing support for their efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19. "Unfortunately, a small number of people from outside of the county deemed it appropriate to visit the area, and these people were engaged with, explained to and encouraged to go home, with enforcement being a last – but necessary - resort in some cases. "The number of FPNs we issued represents a tiny proportion of the thousands of interactions with the public over the weekend. "We are incredibly grateful to our local communities. "We appreciate their patience, resilience and respect and ask them to simply continue in that same manner." More Radio is continuously dedicated to providing a quality news service on-air and online, reporting local stories that matter across Sussex. If you found this story useful, then check out our home page at moreradio.online where you can find the latest from the county, along with features and competitions from our presenters, as well as listening to the station live. You can also sign up to our news alerts to receive updates on new stories. Simply click on the bell at the bottom right of the home page. This will then allow a pop-up which will ask if you would like to receive alerts. Press ‘allow’ and you’re all signed up! You can also follow us on Facebook and on Twitter.