Anti-social man is sent back to Poland

Michael Zubrycki was arrested by police officers after allegations he threatened to commit criminal damage around the Sunken Gardens.

A check of police records showed an international arrest warrant had been issued by the police in Zubrycki's homeland of Poland. This is connected to anti-social behaviour there.

Zubrycki, who is in his 20s, has been handed over to the immigration authorities ready to be deported to Poland.

His arrest came as police stepped up their efforts to tackle the persistent problems caused by a couple of dozen males which have blighted the gardens between the Hothamton car park off Queensway and West Street in recent months.

The problem was top of the list of priorities for Inspector Clare McKnight when she arrived at Bognor police station a month ago.

She recently held a meeting with other key agencies to develop an action plan to reduce the number of incidents.

Insp McKnight said: "There have been a mixture of English and Eastern European males who have been abusing alcohol in the Sunken Gardens throughout the day.

"They start drinking at 8am and carry on. They then start being aggressive and fighting among themselves.

"They are not aggressive towards passers-by but it can be frightening to see several males fighting each other and arguing when they are drunk.

"It can be a bit intimidating for other members of the public to be in the area when that is happening."

Measures agreed at the recent meeting included holding a meeting with off-licences in the area to try to stem the flow of alcohol to the individuals concerned and to cut back on some of the shrubbery which surrounds the area.

"The individuals concerned hide their alcohol in the shrubbery," explained Insp McKnight. "If we see just one open can or bottle of alcohol, we can seize the whole lot because drinking in public is banned.

"But the individuals try to fool us by secreting their alcohol amid the plants."

She said the police were also committed to patrolling the area at times when reports of the problems had been made by members of the public.

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