Vice den in the woods

Whitebeam Woods in Durrington has become a place where youngsters meet up to smoke cannabis and class A drug deals take place, it has been claimed. Rumours are also rife that prostitutes tout for business there.

Former Worthing councillor and Durrington resident Mark O'Keeffe said: "We certainly have a few drug dealers in Durrington. Some do their deals in the woods. Young girls are putting themselves on the game to pay for their drugs.

"This has apparently been going on for a while. It has always been a problem area.

"If you want to go for a walk in the woods to enjoy a nice Sunday afternoon you certainly wouldn't want to go to Whitebeam Woods.

"I think a lot of people in Durrington probably don't realise what is going on."

Nick Rodgers, West Sussex county councillor for Durrington, said he had been told of some youngsters smoking cannabis in the woods.

He said: "Some residents have spoken about women soliciting there but I have never been made aware of any actual evidence of that so it cannot be validated."

Police inspector Martin Pattenden said: "I have not had reported to me at all that there have been any incidents of prostitution in Whitebeam Woods. It is very unusual these sorts of activities would be in a wood.

"I am not aware of any specific evidence of drug dealing. There are certain areas in the town where some softer drugs, such as cannabis, are used but I have no intelligence to suggest there is drug dealing in the woods."

Whitebeam Woods, off Whitebeam Road in Durrington, is the last site of ancient woodland in the town and, in 1992 the area was designated as a Site of Nature Conservation.