Benches in the city centre which have been branded a magnet for antisocial behaviour for many years are being taken out this week. Brighton and Hove City Council says the area has recently seen even more antisocial behaviour, and now the benches are at the end of their life, they are being taken out and not replaced. Removing them is the first step in wider plans to improve the look and feel of the area and address the anti-social behaviour. Sussex Police set up a community policing hotspot on New Road in October 2024 to tackle anti-social behaviour and violence. Chief Inspector Simon Marchant said: “The extra hotspot police patrols in New Road have been effective at deterring antisocial behaviour.