Bring back the stocks

Two teenage boys have been arrested after an early morning vandalism spree at Rockwater, a seafront restaurant and lifestyle venue in Hove. The incident occurred at approximately 4am on Friday 25 July, when the pair allegedly threw rocks at the venue’s glass walls, smashing multiple panes and causing substantial damage to outdoor furnishings. No items were reported stolen. Sussex Police confirmed the arrest of two 14-year-old boys from Brighton on suspicion of criminal damage. The local newspaper report sparked a series of angry responses, with one commenter suggesting it was time to ‘bring back the stocks’. (This photograph is from a Brighton and Hove News article written by Frank le Duc.)  

Luke Davis, founder of Rockwater, said the attack was a ‘senseless act of vandalism’ and expressed disappointment over the disruption caused to both staff and the community. The venue, which reopened following the pandemic as a popular hospitality hub, was forced to temporarily close while the damage was assessed. Replacement glass panels were ordered the same day. CCTV footage from the premises has been handed to police.

A series of photographs published in The Argus show the aftermath of the incident, including scattered furniture, broken glass, and general disarray along the terrace area. However, damage extended beyond the venue itself. According to one commenter on the Brighton and Hove News website, the same youths also did damage along the beach. ‘These delightful young men also vandalised the outside of the lifeguard office (west of Rockwater), cut the rope from the life belt (rendering it useless), pulled down the fishing line disposal unit, and tipped over a number of the large, wheeled bins between Rockwater and the Lagoon,’ wrote local resident S. Crow. ‘Thus, in one orgy of violence, risking the lives of humans and wildlife too.’

Another commenter, Billy Short, questioned how the teenagers had been out at such an hour and suggested community-based consequences. ‘Why and how are 14-year-olds out at 4am? This suggests trouble at home,’ he wrote. ‘For sure, these kids need some sort of punishment. I’d suggest their school holidays now should entail daily Hove Beach Park flower bed weeding - including the sunken garden behind Rockwater. They need to learn to respect - and a connection - to our shared local space.’

Among the dozens of online comments, one remark stood out for its bluntness. ‘Bring back the stocks,’ wrote Craig Smith, summing up the mood of exasperation shared by many.